


Blank Slate

by pinecontents



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - Never Met, Amnesia, Angst, DNA test, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Hospitalization, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slow Burn, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Strangers to Lovers, amnesiac!link, mention of possible sexual assault, protective!Rhett
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2020-09-01 02:01:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 36,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20250340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinecontents/pseuds/pinecontents
Summary: Rhett has nothing to look forward to. Link has nothing to look back at.





	1. Chapter 1

The temperature had dropped overnight and the lightening sky revealed a world blanketed in thick fog. Tiny crystalline droplets shimmered on the dead blades of grass and bare twigs of the trees. Soon, the sun would rise and burn off the fog, returning everything to its usual mundane palette of late autumn browns, but for now everything was soft silver and gray.

No one else was out yet. Rhett was an early riser, always had been, and he loved running alone through the sleeping neighborhood. The fog seemed to muffle all the little noises—a car somewhere, the thwap of newspapers hitting the sidewalk a couple blocks over—leaving him with only his sneakered footsteps on the asphalt. Tiny beads of moisture collected on his windbreaker and he could feel the humidity curling his hair.

He was a lone person in general, he supposed. There were a few coworkers he was close enough to, and a few college friends he saw occasionally, but he hadn't lived with anyone in the three years since his last relationship blew up and his girlfriend moved out. Was being a lone wolf the same as being lonely? he wondered. 

A lab mix dog barked at him from behind a chain link fence. Maybe I should get a dog, he thought. Not like that one, though. Smaller. Nicer.

Rhett changed direction and headed towards a trail a few blocks away. It had been a trolley line until the 1950s when the trolley was decommissioned and the tracks were pulled up and converted into a running path. It curved gently through the neighborhood. If Rhett went left, he would go towards the lower income, less developed residential area, where the trail essentially cut through peoples' backyards and the trees and brush came up close to the path. If he went right, he would go through a more open, higher income, mixed residential and commercial neighborhood.

He went left. Usually he didn't take this leg of the trail, because he felt uncomfortable about being able to see into the backyards (and sometimes houses, when they left their curtains open), and it was worse in the autumn when all the vegetation died and everything was even more was exposed, but he wanted to be underneath the trees as the sun came up and shone through the fog.

Something crunched under his foot. He glanced down. A fast food wrapper. This was the other reason he didn't like this part of the trail as much. There was always trash around, usually just little things like bottles or plastic bags caught in the brush, but occasionally there were much larger items. A few months ago, he'd come across a full size mattress and box spring leaning against a tree. Rhett had been impressed despite of his annoyance—it must have taken a lot of effort to haul it a half mile down the path.

He picked up the wrapper and stuck it in his pocket before continuing on his run. The sun began to peek through the trees and send shafts of light through the branches. Crepescular rays, Rhett knew they were really called, but he always thought the painting of Jesus against the clouds that had hung in his Sunday school classroom when he saw them.

He ran through the dappled light for a while longer, getting lost in his playlist. Under the trees, the fog hadn't dissipated yet, and as he rounded a gentle corner, Rhett caught sight of something lying at the edge of the path. He frowned and squinted. A bag of trash? A pile of clothing? Neither seemed quite right but he couldn't figure out what the object was.

Details began to emerge as he got closer. Clothes, he decided. For some reason, someone had dumped a laundry basket's worth of clothes next to the path. It just so happened that they had landed in a shape that resembled a human figure, because there was no way there was a body on the path, right?

The closer Rhett got, the slower his steps came, and he finally stopped about twenty feet from the body. It was undeniably a person now—he could see a pale hand off to one side. They were lying on their side, curled into a fetal position, their back towards Rhett. Dark hair, dark shirt, dark jeans.

Rhett had a sudden memory of his college roommate holding a flashlight under his chin in proper scary story fashion at a bonfire they'd attended off campus one night. “This is a true story,” Tim said. “This is the story of how I found a dead guy in an abandoned building.” The story had been long and involved (and embellished, Rhett suspected) but right now all he could think of was the vivid detail his roommate had gone into when describing the body.

He stood there on the path, staring at the figure and willing it to move. Nothing happened. Rhett glanced around. There were a couple houses partially visible through the brush, but none close. The silence and thick fog that he'd been enjoying so much before were now suffocating. He took one step towards the figure, then another, and another. It can't hurt you, Rhett told himself as he neared it. It won't be like Tim's story. It wasn't even a scary story, really, just gross.

He reached the figure and looked down. A man, curled up on himself with eyes closed. He was wearing a gray t-shirt with a Triforce and dark skinny jeans. His feet were bare and their soles were dirty and scratched up. His face was shadowed with stubble and dirt, but his expression was peaceful.

Rhett walked around and crouched down to look at the man's face more closely. There was a broken pair of glasses under his head, mostly hidden underneath his longish dark hair. Rhett could also see dried blood puddled under his head, and an injury of some sort on the side of his head.

“Fuck,” Rhett muttered as he sat down hard. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and rubbed his eyebrows as he thought about what he was going to say when he called 911. He'd decided to go with the straightforward lead-in of “I found a body” but as the operator answered, the man lying on the path opened his eyes, just a little. Rhett caught a glimpse of blue before they closed again.


	2. Chapter 2

“Holy shit, he's not dead!” Rhett exclaimed.

“Who isn't dead, sir?” the operator asked.

“The...the...the body!” Rhett exclaimed. “On the path!” He knew he sounded like an idiot and he struggled to pull himself together to answer the operator's questions. It took a few minutes, but the operator was able to send police and EMTs and told Rhett it would be about ten minutes before the reached his location. He thanked her and she broke the connection, leaving Rhett with a silent phone in one hand and a cold, limp shape in the other.

Rhett looked down at his left hand in surprise. He was holding the other man's left hand without realizing he'd picked it up. Rhett shoved his phone back into his pocket and rubbed the cold hand between his two warm palms. “It's gonna be okay, man,” he said. “You're gonna be okay.” The other man's fingers were long and thin with dirty nails and chewed cuticles. No wedding ring, Rhett noted to himself as he kept up a stream of one-chatter, more for his own benefit than for that of the unconscious man. There were tiny beads of water pearled all over his dark hair and long eyelashes and as Rhett reached up to touch his own damp hair, he suddenly realized that not only did he hear sirens, but they were getting closer because the ambulance was driving slowly down the trail.

Rhett carefully put the unconscious man's hand down and stood up to flag down the ambulance. It stopped about where Rhett had stopped when he realized the object had been a body and turned off the lights and sirens. The headlights stayed on, illuminating them through the lingering fog. Crepescular rays, Rhett thought.

Two efficient EMTs hopped out and quickly had the unconscious man strapped onto a backboard and immobilized with a cervical collar. The wound on the left side of his head was revealed as they did. Rhett winced—he knew scalp wounds bled heavily, but it looked awful. He hoped it wasn't anything serious.

As the EMTs were loading the unconscious man into the back of the ambulance, Rhett realized they hadn't taken his glasses. One arm was snapped and one lens was cracked, but he picked them up and took them to one of the EMTs anyway. “He'll need these,” he said to her.

She was a no-nonsense woman with curly hair pulled into a thick French braid. “Not sure how much good they'll do him,” she said, but Rhett was glad to see she slipped the glasses into the man's jeans pocket anyway. “C'mon, get in.”

“Oh, no,” Rhett protested. “I can't go to the hospital. I don't even know him.”

The EMT rolled her eyes. “We're not taking you to the hospital. We're giving you a lift to the end of the trail so you can give a statement to the police.”

“Oh.” Rhett climbed into the back of the ambulance and tucked himself into a small seat. The other EMT glanced up from the IV he was starting, decided Rhett was of no interest, and returned to the task at hand. The EMT with the French braid slammed the back doors, got behind the wheel, turned on the lights and sirens and carefully backed the ambulance down the trail. At the end, they stopped long enough to kick Rhett out the back door before speeding off towards the hospital.

A couple cop cars were parked a little ways down the street and three officers were standing on the sidewalk, waiting for Rhett. He felt a small twist of anxiety in his stomach, even though he hadn't done anything wrong. Quite the opposite, in fact. A few groups of looky-loo neighbors had gathered and Rhett scowled at them.

The cops came over and the lead detective, Rodriguez, introduced himself as the other two roped off the entrance to the trail with crime scene tape. He was a stocky man, probably in his fifties, with an impressive mustache. Rhett idly wondered if he'd chosen that particular style because it was the classic cop facial hair.

There wasn't much that he could tell the police. No, no one else had been around. No, he hadn't noticed anything unusual for the area. Yes, he had touched the unconscious man, but only his left hand. No, Rhett didn't recognize him. The interview went on like that for a while.

“Do you think someone tried to kill him?” he blurted out as Rodriguez wrote down his previous answer. The mustached cop clicked his pen shut and raised his eyebrow at Rhett.

“Huge wound on the side of his head, dressed like that in this weather, no shoes, outside in a fairly untrafficked part of the neighborhood? Put it like this: someone wasn't NOT trying to kill him.”

“Oh,” Rhett said. He thought of the flicker of blue eyes he'd seen.

“And this isn't the first time someone's been attacked on this trail,” Rodriguez continued. “Over the past few years, there have been a few people knocked down, had their phones stolen, that sort of thing. This is the first real injury, though.”

“I didn't know that,” Rhett glanced back at the trail. The sun was fully risen now and the fog was gone, but he couldn't imagine going back down there again.

“You'd probably be safe. You're a big guy.” Rodriguez glanced up at Rhett, who was a good nine or ten inches taller. Rhett shrugged and said, “Still.”

“Understood.” Rodriguez flipped his notebook shut. “I think we're done here for now. I'll contact you if I need anything else, okay?”

“Sure. Can you, um, let me know if he's okay?” Rhett asked. 

“Maybe, maybe not,” said Rodriguez. “Depends on how things progress. I'll try, but I make no promises.”

“Fair enough,” said Rhett. The two men shook hands and Rodriguez gestured to his car. “You want a ride home? You can sit in the front.”

Rhett was about to decline, but then he glanced at the clot of neighbors watching them. If Rhett walked home, he'd have to pass right by them and he didn't want to deal with dodging their questions. “I'd appreciate that,” he said.

The two men didn't speak on the ride home. Rhett was lost in thought. Would it be worse to find out the unconscious man had died or was seriously impaired, or would it be worse to just never know what happened to him?

The ride to his house only took a few minutes. Rhett thanked Rodriguez again and pulled out his phone to check the time as he walked to the door. “Oh shit,” he muttered. It was much later than he thought. He called his boss.

“Hey, Jamie?” Rhett unlocked the door. “Yes, I know what time it is. You're not going to believe what happened to me this morning...”


	3. Chapter 3

Rhett thought about the man on the path a lot. He didn't hear from Rodriguez, but eight days later, Rhett was working from home when his phone rang. He was in the middle of an important project and had been waiting for some information from the office. Rhett snatched up and phone and answered without checking the caller's number. “Jamie, where have you been? I've been waiting for ages,” he snapped.

“Ah, this isn't Jamie,” said a female voice. “May I please speak with Rhett McLaughlin?”

“Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry.” He could feel his face turning red. “This is Rhett.”

“Excellent,” she said in a businesslike tone. “My name is Stevie Levine, and I am an adult protective services social worker with St. Joseph's Hospital. I understand you're the one who found the unconscious man on the path last week?”

“Yes...” Rhett said slowly. “Can I ask what this is about?”

“He wants to meet you,” said Stevie. “To thank you.”

“Oh!” Rhett pushed his chair away from his desk, his project forgotten. “Of course! Is he okay?”

“Well...” Stevie paused. “As well as can be expected, I suppose. He's awake and alert.”

“That's...that's good,” Rhett said hesitantly. As well as can be expected? What did that mean? He and Stevie arranged for him to come up to the hospital the next morning (“It's easier for him in the morning, when he isn't so tired” Stevie explained) and he ended the call.

Rhett sat there with his phone held loosely in his hand. He felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The man was okay. He'd saved a life. Alone in his office, Rhett grinned.

When his phone rang in his hand, he jumped and dropped it. Shaking his head, he picked it up and checked the caller's number before he answered. “Jamie!” he said. “Did you get that info? Great! Hey, tomorrow I'm not going be able to get to work until ten or so.”

The rest of the workday passed quickly as he and Jamie rushed to finish their project and make the deadline in time, and Rhett completely forgot about the upcoming hospital visit.

~*~*~*~

The next morning, Rhett got up and drove to the hospital. Halfway there, he pulled into a supermarket and bought a little bouquet of yellow and orange flowers. This was mostly because he knew his mother would be mortified to learn that her son had visited someone in the hospital without bringing a gift. Rhett wondered if it would be too weird to give another man flowers, but he didn't know what else he could bring. He'd ask Stevie what she thought when he met her.

At the hospital, it took Rhett far longer than he expected to find a parking space, and then he got lost twice looking for the unit where Stevie was supposed to meet him. He was nearly 10 minutes late by the time he found the right spot. There was a sensibly dressed woman with long strawberry blonde hair standing in front of the nurse's station, talking to a man at the desk. She had a stack of charts and a tablet held in one arm and was gesturing with the other.

“Um, excuse me, I'm looking for Stevie Levine?” Rhett said. The blonde woman turned around, raised her eyebrows, looked up and him and said, “You must be Rhett. Rodriguez said you were tall, but he didn't say you were that tall. I'm Stevie.”

She held out her hand and Rhett shook it. “Did you bring those for him?” she asked, pointing at the flowers.

“Yeah...is that weird? I can give them to the nurses to give to someone else if I need to...” Rhett trailed off because Stevie was shaking her head.

“No! He'll be thrilled.” She lead Rhett down the hallway. “His room's right here. He's really just the sweetest guy, but there's something you need to know. He's been having a lot of issues with his memory, and--” she was cut off by her phone ringing. Stevie whipped it out of her pocket and cursed.

“I'm so sorry, I have to take this. I'll be right back.” She answered the phone and held it up to her ear and walked a little way down the corridor. “Stevie Levine. Yes. Yes. What?”

Rhett peeked into the open door as Stevie got sucked further into her conversation. It was a single room with the privacy curtain pulled halfway down the bed. Rhett could see the lump of feet under the blanket at the bottom of the bed. 

He walked into the room and around the curtain. The man from the trail was sitting up in bed with a pad of paper and some markers on the little table. He looked up at Rhett and said, “Hi.”

“H-hi,” Rhett stammered. His eyes were so blue! He was wearing a pale green hospital gown and had an IV in one arm. His dark hair was clean and shiny and Rhett could see a couple inches of grown out gray roots. It was hard to believe this was the same person as the one who had been on the path, but those eyes were unmistakable.

The dark-haired man tilted his head to the side. “Do you know me?” he asked.

The odd phrasing threw Rhett off a little. “I, uh, no, no I don't,” he said. “I found you on the running trail and called 911? My name is Rhett.”

“Oh!” the man clapped his hands in delight. “I thought Stevie was bringing you.”

“She's in the hall,” Rhett jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “She got a phone call.” The other man nodded in understanding. 

“Look, this is going to sound awful,” Rhett continued, “but I've completely forgotten your name.” He wasn't sure if anyone had actually told him to begin with but he felt it would be better to take any blame himself.

The dark-haired man gave a wild little laugh. “What a coincidence. So have I.”

“Um, what?” Rhett's flowers hung limp in his hand, forgotten.

“He has retrograde amnesia,” Stevie said. Rhett jumped a little. He hadn't noticed her coming up behind him.

“He has no memories prior to waking up after surgery,” she continued. “He doesn't remember his name or birthday or anything, and he didn't have a wallet or phone on him. So far the police have been unable to identify him, so he's a John Doe for now.”

“I'm sure my name isn't John,” complained the John Doe.

“You were wearing a Triforce shirt,” said Rhett. “Maybe you're Link.”

“Link,” the other man said, rolling it around in his mouth. “I like it. Hey Stevie, can I change my name? Is that something I can do?”

Stevie shrugged. “Sure. It's just a placeholder anyway.” She flipped open one of the folders she was carrying and made a note. “Link Doe.”

The newly christened Link made a face. “I still don't like the Doe part but I guess it can stay.”

Stevie closed the folder with crisp slap. “I have to go. I'll stop by the nurses' station and update your information with your new name. Rhett, you're welcome to stay as long as you like, or until Joh—uh, Link—or the nurses kick you out. We good?”

Rhett and Link nodded. “Good,” they said in unison. They looked at each other and their eyes met.

“Jinx!” they shouted together. “Knock on wood,” Link said. He rapped his knuckles three times on his table. Rhett looked around and settled on a cabinet. It might not have been real wood, but it would have to do. Stevie rolled her eyes and waved goodbye.


	4. Chapter 4

“Come and sit,” Link gestured to the chair on the far side of his bed. Rhett walked around and as he sat he saw the left side of Link's head for the first time.

“Jesus Christ,” he whispered.

“Looks bad, doesn't it?” Link reached up and gently touched his head. A patch of hair the size of Rhett's palm had been shaved off and there was a horseshoe shaped incision closed with coarse, dark sutures. Someone had carefully braided the hair around the shaved patch into cornrows to keep it away from the wound.

“What is that?” Rhett asked.

“A crainiotomy,” Link pronounced the word carefully. “I had a blood clot and they cut open my skull to get it out.” He held his hand up with his finger and thumb in a circle. “The surgeon said it was the size of a golfball.”

“Wow.” Rhett didn't really have anything else to say to that, so instead, he held his bouquet out to Link. “I got you some flowers. I hope that's not weird.”

“Gosh, no.” Link took the flowers and buried his face in them. He sighed with pleasure. “This is the first get well gift I've gotten.”

“Really?” Rhett looked around the room. No cards, no balloons, no flowers.

“No one knows I'm here,” said Link, hugging the flowers. “If I have friends and family looking for me, they haven't found me. I just have Stevie and Detective Rodriguez and Dr. O'Connell and my nurse Elise, and now you I guess.”

“They'll find you,” Rhett said firmly. “Or you'll remember.”

“I hope so,” Link gave a hopeful little smile. He put the bouquet down on the table and picked up a marker. “Hey, you want to color with me?”

“Color?”

“A coloring book.” Link held it up. “I can't see the TV because my glasses are broken, I can't concentrate well enough to read, so Stevie got me some coloring books. This one is Mythical Beasts.”

“Sure,” Rhett took the book from Link and thumbed through the pages. It had perforated pages allowing the pictures to be easily removed. Link had been working on a hydra. He was a very precise and meticulous color-er. All his colors were inside the lines, even without his glasses and after brain surgery. Rhett selected a griffin and carefully removed it. 

They sat and chatted together while they colored. Despite what Stevie had said, Link did have some memories, but they were mostly from childhood and were no use in determining his identity. Rhett, who had grown up in Georgia, noted Link's Southern accent and they speculated as to where he might have grown up. His memories weren't of any use there, either. He didn't ask Rhett any questions about being found on the path and Rhett didn't offer, letting Link lead the conversation.

Rhett found himself really enjoying spending time with Link. In conversation, he mostly made up for his memory deficit by being funny and clever. Rhett could see there were times when he was making things up as he went along, but if he hadn't already been aware of Link's problem, he might not have noticed.

Finally it was time for Rhett to leave and go to work. He propped his colored picture up on the windowsill at Link's request. 

“Will you come visit me again?” Link asked quietly. His mood had dropped noticeably once Rhett stood up. “You don't have to, it's just...” he trailed off.

“You're bored and lonely and scared?” supplied Rhett. Link nodded sheepishly. “I can't come tomorrow because I have a big meeting at work, but the day after should be good. Same time?”

Link shrugged. “I don't have anywhere to be.” They said their goodbyes and Rhett found himself smiling all the way to his car.

~*~*~*~*

Two days later, Rhett went back to the hospital. This time, he was able to park and get himself to the correct unit much faster. After checking in at the nurses' station, he headed towards Link's room and knocked on the door frame.

“Come in!” Link sang from within. “I knew it was you because nobody else would knock. No privacy here.” 

“Wow, look at you!” said Rhett when he saw Link, who was wearing a white t-shirt and pajama pants and a pair of tortoiseshell glasses. “Real clothes and everything.”

“Yeah, they took the IV out yesterday so I can pull a shirt on now. And Stevie brought my new glasses like 15 minutes ago.” He pushed them up his nose a little. “I'm not used to wearing them again.”

“They look nice, man,” Rhett said. They did. Stevie did a good job at selecting the frames.

“I haven't seen them yet. I'm not supposed to get out of bed unsupervised today because I fell yesterday. It wasn't a brain thing, I just tripped, but they put me on probation anyway.” Link scowled.

“Here, I'll take your picture.” Rhett pulled out his phone and took a few snapshots at different angles, then passed the phone to Link. He scrolled through them and smiled.

“Thanks.” He handed the phone back. “You know, the first time I looked in the mirror, I didn't recognize myself? I felt like I should be younger. I still don't really feel like that person is me. His glasses look good, though.”

Rhett laughed. Link continued, “And I can see you now! I love your beard. You're really handsome.”

“Uh.” Rhett could feel himself turning red. Link's eyes got big and he slapped a hand over his mouth. “Oh, god! Was that not the right thing to say? I'm so sorry, I've had some problems with saying inappropriate things and not realizing--”

“No, no!” Rhett held up his hands and cut Link off. “It wasn't bad, or inappropriate, or anything. It was actually kind of sweet. I just wasn't expecting it, that's all.”

“You sure?” Link asked. He still looked a little apprehensive.

“Positive,” Rhett promised. He was actually very flattered by Link's compliment.

They sat and talked for a while before Link's nurse came in to look at the incision on his scalp. “Looks good, sweetie. You ready to get those sutures out?”

“I want them out without you having to actually take them out,” he replied. “I hate all these procedures.”

“At least there's no needles this time, right?” She patted him on the shoulder. “I'll go get the supplies.”

Rhett watched her walk out of the room and turned back to Link. “Are you okay, buddy? You look kind of freaked out.”

Link licked his lips nervously. “I am a little freaked out. I fainted when they redid my IV the first time.”

“Wow. Okay, look.” Rhett leaned forward in his chair. Link leaned in to hear what he had to say. “Getting stitches out is not big deal. Kind of uncomfortable. It's not gonna bleed. You can do it. You survived whatever the hell happened on the trail, and you're gonna survive this too. Okay?”

“Okay.” Link nodded to himself. “Yeah. Okay.”

The nurse returned with her supplies. She had Link lie down on his side and stood behind him. Rhett sat in front of him, murmuring encouragement. Link's blue eyes were wide and scared and he started shaking as soon as the nurse touched his scalp.

“Here, give me your hand.” Rhett took Link's hand and held it between his palms. This time, it was warm and trembling.

“I held your hand like this while you were lying on the trail,” Rhett said.

“Really?” Link whispered. Behind him, the nurse clipped sutures and pulled them out with a hemostat. 

“Really. You were so pale and cold and still I thought you were dead.”

“That's 'cause I had hypothermia,” Link said matter-of-factly. His shivering had lessened.

“But then you opened your eyes a little and-”

“Done!” The nurse rubbed Link's arm. “You did a real good job, honey. You can let your hair down now if you want.” Link thanked her and she left the room, patting Rhett on the shoulder as she did.

Link reached up and unraveled the braid. The hair was wavy and he finger combed it down over the shaved patch. “Can you still see it?” he asked Rhett.

Rhett nodded. Link sighed. “I should probably just cut it all off,” he said. “Obviously I haven't been taking care of it for a while.”

“You shouldn't dye it anymore. The gray is nice,” Rhett said. Link nodded in agreement.

“I know, man, what was I thinking?” he threw up his hands in bafflement. They both laughed and continued talking until Rhett had to leave.


	5. Chapter 5

When he got in his car, Rhett scrolled through the pictures of Link. He cropped and color corrected the best one before realizing he didn't have anything to do with it. Link didn't have any social media or a phone. Rhett shrugged and saved the picture anyway.

~*~*~*~*~

After that, Rhett came and visited almost every day. 

He was present when Detective Rodriguez came by with surveillance footage of Link walking past a business near the trail at 4am. In the video, he was wearing a jacket and sneakers which had vanished by the time Rhett found him. The police hadn't been able to find either item, and the footage was otherwise unhelpful—no one else was in view and Link didn't appear to be in distress. The only thing it provided was a time frame for his injury.

He was present when Dr. O'Connell, the neurologist, came and spoke with Link and Stevie about his amnesia and his long term prognosis. Her working theory was that Link's condition wasn't related to his head injury, and had in fact preceded it. She thought he had been in a fugue state and walked away from his previous life. There was no way of knowing how long ago that was, how far he'd traveled, or what he'd been up to in that time. Link was thin and showed some signs of recent rough living, but his teeth were in good condition and he was generally healthy. When Rhett asked what caused a fugue state, Dr. O'Connell said it was usually precipitated by trauma. Link shrugged—he couldn't remember any trauma, of course. His memory might come back, or it might not. He was also at risk for re-entering a fugue state.

He was present when Stevie came to talk to Link about what was going to happen when he was released from the hospital. Rhett had privately been worrying about this because he knew Link had nowhere to go. He'd been in the hospital for three and a half weeks, and had recovered to the point that he no longer needed to be inpatient, but would still need some help and supervision before he was completely self sufficient.

“I've got you set up to stay at a nursing facility for a couple weeks. It's called Evergreen.” Stevie flipped open her tablet. “Most of the people there are older and recovering from knee replacements and that sort of thing, but there are some patients your age and younger.”

“And what age might that be, Stevie?” Link asked with a smirk.

“Um...” Stevie turned to Rhett, who was leaning against that wall. “How old are you, Rhett?”

“Forty.”

Stevie turned back to Link. “Probably about forty. I'm guessing you two are about the same age.”

“Well, you've got my birthday as 01/01/1978 in the chart, and I know that's not right because my birthday is in the summer. Like, around the time school gets out.” He crossed his arms and scowled.

“You can pick a date later.” Stevie made a note on her tablet. “As for when you're discharged from the nursing facility...” She sighed.

“What's wrong?” Link asked.

“This is such an unusual case. There aren't really many resources for someone like you. No known criminal record, no known substance abuse...I guess technically you are homeless. There's a men's shelter that might have a place for you. It's really for domestic abuse victims, but they seemed receptive when I reached out. I'm working on it.”

“Oh,” said Link in a small voice. His eyes flicked over to Rhett.

“You can stay with me,” Rhett blurted. He hadn't planned it. He hadn't even thought about it before. But he and Link had become so close so quickly, it seemed like the right thing to offer, and he knew it was.

“Really?” Link asked incredulously.

“No,” Stevie said at the same time.

“Yes, really,” Rhett said to Link, and turned to Stevie. “And why not? He's my friend, Stevie! I can't let him stay in a homeless shelter when I have an extra bedroom.”

“You are a legal stranger to this case, Rhett!” She set her tablet down on top of her stack of charts with a thump and pointed an accusatory finger at him. “You shouldn't even be present for this conversation, or any of the others you've been a part of.”

“No one's ever asked me to leave,” Rhett pointed out. “Even you.”

“That's not the point!” Stevie was getting pissed. “The point is that he's not just your buddy who's gonna crash on the couch for a weekend and then go back to his own life! He is a vulnerable adult, Rhett. Staying with you is not an option. Period.” She picked up her stuff and headed to the door. She turned and looked back at Link.

“I'll let you know about the housing once I get an answer, okay?” Link nodded at her but looked back at Rhett as she left. Rhett held a finger up to Link in a wait-for-me gesture and followed Stevie out into the hall. He grabbed her arm.

“Stevie, wait!” 

She yanked her arm from his grasp. “Rhett, I said no! You're not prepared-” she realized how loud she was and dropped her voice to a hiss. “-not prepared to be a caretaker.”

Rhett folded his arms. “Oh, and the people at this shelter are?”

Stevie was absolutely furious. She glanced at the open door of Link's room and then stalked off down the hall, beckoning Rhett to come with. He followed her to a blandly decorated little room with a table, a few chairs, and an industrial couch. Stevie shut the door as Rhett looked around. He wondered how many families had received bad news in this room.

“I am trying my best, Rhett!” Stevie pushed her long blonde hair out of her face in agitation. “There aren't any resources-”

“I'm a resource, Stevie!” Rhett had been trying to keep his cool, but he was just as mad at Stevie as she was at him. “You say I'm not prepared to be a caretaker but really, what is your long term plan here?”

“His photo was in the paper. There's been a few leads that Detective Rodriguez is working on. There's also going to be a story on the local news, to see if anyone can identify him, with a GoFundMe for his medical care.”

“Okay, that's great, but...” Rhett ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “If he's so vulnerable, is a shelter really the best place for him?”

“No.”

“How much care does he really need? He seems pretty with it,” he said.

Stevie laughed. “You have a bit of a skewed view because you only come for a couple hours in the morning. He'll have to keep track of his meds and appointments, which will be hard because he has trouble remembering things. I don't think that's brain stuff, though, just his personality.” Brain stuff was Link's catch-all term for his cognitive issues and the aftereffects of his surgery. Everyone around him had started using it as well.

“He has trouble concentrating on things for too long, he gets tired easily, his right side gets weak, his sleep schedule is erratic if no one enforces it, he gets confused, he has migraines, there's a strong possibility that he might re-enter the fugue state and wander off, and he agrees with things that he doesn't understand because he doesn't want to seem impaired.” She ticked the issues off on her fingers and frowned down at them. “There's more, but that's all I can remember right now. And none of it matters, because you are a legal stranger!”

“Stevie, please,” Rhett plead. “I can learn all the caretaking stuff. Is there a way I can become, um, a legal not-stranger? Even your best-case scenario of the men's shelter won't last forever.”

“It's only until Rodriguez finds out his identity,” Stevie protested.

“Link can stay at my place til he finds his identity just as easily,” Rhett pointed out.

Stevie groaned. “I don't like this one bit, but you're not wrong. I'll run it by Link's lawyer and have him email you.”

“Link has a lawyer?”

“He was the victim of a crime. Of course he has a lawyer.” Stevie opened the door.

“So what do I tell Link when I go back to his room?” Rhett asked.

“Tell him I'm working on it,” Stevie said, and disappeared down the hall.


	6. Chapter 6

“She said she'll work on it,” Rhett told Link. 

Link gave Rhett a big grin and a tentative thumbs up. Rhett returned the grin and held up crossed fingers. They both burst into giggles and Rhett leaned over the bed and pulled Link into a hug. He stiffened for a moment before relaxing and returning the hug. When Rhett let go, he saw that Link had tears in his eyes.

“Was that okay?” he asked in concern.

Link nodded vigorously. “Better than okay. No one's hugged me since...” he brushed his fingertips over the incision on his scalp. “So as far as I remember, that's the first hug I ever got.”

“Wow.” Rhett was too stunned to say anything else for a moment. “You want another?”

“Yeah.”

~*~*~*~

Rhett got an email from the lawyer a couple days later. Because Link's case was so unusual, they were making up the rules as they went along. Rhett had to fulfill three criteria for Link to live with him: he had to pass a background check, Stevie would inspect his house, and he would have to be certified as Link's guardian ad litem by the court.

The background check was easy. The only legal trouble Rhett had ever been in were some traffic tickets.

The guardian ad litem was also easier than Rhett thought it would be. The only issue was that it required 30 hours of training and Rhett wouldn't be able to finish until after Link was discharged from the hospital, so he would have to spend a little more than a week at the nursing facility.

The house inspection was what stressed him out the most. The day before Stevie came over, he cleaned like he'd never cleaned before. Rhett nervously drifted from room to room, looking for any imperfections. Finally, he went to bed but lay awake worrying.

The next morning, Rhett hauled himself out of bed. There was probably something else to clean, but he was too tired to bother. He drank a mug of tea and waited for Stevie to show up.

At 7:30 sharp, she rang the doorbell. “Nice place,” she commented as she stepped inside.

“Thanks,” said Rhett. His house was an Arts and Crafts bungalow from the 1910s. It had been a fixer upper, and he'd put a lot of time, love, effort, and money into it, keeping as many of the original fixtures as possible. Originally, he'd planned to marry his fiancée and raise a family here, but when she left, he couldn't bring himself to leave. He loved this house.

Stevie wandered around the open living/dining room, looking at everything. In the kitchen, she opened cabinets and peered into the fridge. She pointed at the liquor bottles on top of the fridge. “You need to lock those up.”

“Why? Did he have alcohol in his system when he went to the ER?”

Stevie shook her head. “His tox screen was completely clear, actually. It's just that we have no clue about Link's past. He's also on some meds that shouldn't be mixed with alcohol.”

Rhett nodded. Stevie continued down a short hallway and went into Rhett's bedroom. She only gave it a cursory examination before moving onto the bathroom. She opened the drawers and cabinets in there, too. The final room on this floor was the spare bedroom that would be Link's.

It was simply furnished. A queen size bed, a dresser, and a bedside table with a lamp. Stevie pulled back the quilt and looked at the sheets before opening the closet. Some of Rhett's camping gear was stored in there.

“I am so sorry,” Rhett said. “I promise I'll clear that out before he comes.” Stevie waved off his apology.

“It's fine, Rhett. Let's go upstairs and then check out the basement.”

The upstairs was a single open space that had previously been an attic before Rhett fixed it up. His home office was up there along with his guitars and other music stuff.

“You play?” Stevie asked as she ran her fingers across the strings. Rhett nodded.

“I wonder if Link plays an instrument. He sings to himself sometimes, you know.”

“Really? He remembers songs?”

Stevie nodded. “If you ask him about a song, he won't be able to come up with the lyrics or melody, but when left alone, it just comes to him.”

“That's so wild.” Rhett shook his head and they continued to the basement. It was semi finished, all bare studs and drywall. There was some storage, and Rhett's tools along with the washer and dryer. Stevie spent a long time looking at the tools before heading back upstairs.

She sat at Rhett's table and he sat across from her. She pulled her tablet out of her bag and flipped open the case.

“Do you have any firearms in the house?”

“No.”

Any drugs?”

“No—wait, I have some hydrocodone for my back when it gets bad. Slipped discs,” he explained.

Stevie nodded and made a note. “Lock it up. Any regular visitors?”

“Um, my parents come around Easter, but they won't be able to stay here if Link moves in. My brother once in a while. Sometimes my boss Jamie comes over. That's about it. I don't have many visitors these days.” Saying it out loud made Rhett realize how isolated he'd been since his fiancée left.

Stevie raised her eyebrows but didn't say anything. The interview continued and when Stevie closed her tablet cover, Rhett looked at her apprehensively.

“So...did I pass?” he asked hesitantly.


	7. Chapter 7

“Rhett,” Stevie said kindly. “You passed as soon as I walked in the door.” He gaped at her.

“It's true. I work for Adult Protective Services. You would not believe some of the places I go into. Look at this place.” She gestured around the room. “It's obviously not a place of neglect. You have utilities, food in the cupboard, everything is clean and everything works... you passed with flying colors.”

“Does that mean Link can move in?”

“Link can move in,” Stevie confirmed with a smile. “As soon as you're certified as his guardian.”

Rhett threw back his head and laughed with delight. Stevie held up a warning finger. “But!”

“But what?”

“I'm going to be watching you.”

“I understand,” Rhett said. As Stevie went to leave, he stopped her.

“This might be inappropriate, but can I hug you? I'm just really excited.”

Stevie laughed. It changed her entire face. She'd been kind of a hardass, but Rhett knew that was because she cared for Link and only wanted the best for him.

“You can hug me.”

They hugged in front of the door. Rhett couldn't wipe the stupid grin off his face, and Stevie was smiling too.

~*~*~*~

“An hour?” Link wailed. He'd just found out how far away Evergreen was.

“I know. I'm sorry. It was the only place I could find,” Stevie said.

Link turned to Rhett. “You'll still come visit, right?”

Rhett shook his head. “I can't take four hours out of my work day every day, Link. I'm already on a modified schedule so I can visit you now and take the guardian ad litem classes as quickly as possible. Honestly, I'm shocked at how flexible my boss has been, and I don't want to push my luck too much.” Link's face fell and his shoulders slumped.

“I'll still come on Saturday, okay?” Rhett said as he rubbed Link's back. The dark-haired man nodded.

He turned to Stevie. “What about you, Stevie? Are you gonna visit?”

“Not every day,” she replied. “Maybe every third or fourth day? It's a long drive, Link. The staff at Evergreen is great. They'll take good care of you, I promise.”

Link drew his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, looking unhappy. He was so skinny, Rhett thought. He could feel every one of Link's vertebrae and his shoulder blades showed starkly through his thin t-shirt.

“I don't want them to take care of me,” he whispered.

Rhett took Link's hand in his. “I know, baby. It's only eight days.”

“Baby?” said Link.

“Baby?” said Stevie.

Rhett froze. “Uhhh...” was all he could come up with as his face turned red.

“It's okay.” Link patted Rhett's hand with his free hand. “I don't mind.”

Stevie rolled her eyes. “Whatever, nerds.” She'd loosened up a lot with them since agreeing to let Link go live with Rhett. She turned to Rhett and said, “We're leaving at noon tomorrow.”

Rhett squeezed Link's hand. “I'll be here, I promise.”

~*~*~*~*~

“I got you a present,” Rhett handed Link a small box wrapped in silver paper.

Link clapped in excitement and carefully slid his finger under the tape to peel the wrapping paper off without tearing it. How can someone be simultaneously so meticulous and so scatterbrained? Rhett wondered. Was it brain stuff, or just personality?

Inside the box was a phone. It was just a basic smartphone, nothing fancy, but Link was thrilled.

“I can text you now!” he said in delight.

Rhett grinned. “You remember how to text?”

“My procedural memory is fine, jackass.” Link stuck his tongue out at Rhett.

“I already put my number in it.” Rhett had also put Link's new number in his phone, and attached the picture he'd taken of Link in his new glasses to the profile.

“I'll get Stevie's number, too,” Link declared. 

“Don't text her too much. She's a busy lady,” Rhett warned.

“I know. I honestly think I'm one of her easier clients,” Link said.

“That might be because you're cooperative and don't have any awful family that's abusing you or neglecting you or trying to steal your money or any of that other shit I overhear when she's on the phone,” Rhett replied. Most of Stevie's clients were elderly or developmentally disabled and their main issue was usually related to being taken advantage of by some family member or other. “You're just... unidentified.”

“I have some other issues,” Link brushed back his hair and traced a finger over the horseshoe shaped scar on his scalp.

“Yeah, but the reason you need a guardian is more legal than anything else, right?”

Link ignored the question. “Rhett, I don't want to go.”

“I know. I don't want you to go either. It's only eight days,” Rhett said, to himself as much as Link.

They sat on the edge of the bed and talked until Stevie came to collect Link. He had all of his belongings (there weren't many) in a canvas tote bag. Rhett had brought one of his jackets for Link to wear outside. The sleeves were so long that they hung down past his knuckles and only his fingers poked out. For shoes, he had a slightly battered pair of Nikes that his nurse Elise had taken from her husband. 

Link threw his arms around Rhett's middle and hugged him tight until Stevie pried him loose with a stern, “We have to go now, Link.” He followed her down the hall and waved to Rhett one last time before they got on the elevator and disappeared. Rhett sighed and went back into Link's room and sat on his bed for a new minutes before leaving. He felt like it was the end of an era.

~*~*~*~

Text to: Link

(Rhett): how was your first day at evergreen?  
(Link): ok  
(Link): I have a roommate  
(Link): jason  
(Link): crashed his motorcycle and broke his neck  
(Rhett): jesus. Is he paralyzed?  
(Link): no. he's in one of those halo things that screws into the skull  
(Rhett): is he nice?  
(Link): dunno. He hasn't talked much  
(Link): his family is here and they talk a LOT  
(Link): been eavsdroppin on the drama  
(Rhett): what's the scoop?  
(Link): he got divorced and the motorcycle was the only thing he wanted so his ex got everything else  
(Link): so a couple of them want to sue his ex-wife for some reason?  
(Link): can they do that?  
(Rhett): they can try. It won't do anything but waste their time  
(Link): I wonder if i'm married

Rhett frowned at his phone. He didn't want Link to be married. In fact, one of the first things he'd noticed when holding Link's cold hand was the lack of a ring.

(Rhett): no ring  
(Link): that doesn't mean anything

Rhett changed the subject and they chatted a while longer. 

~*~*~*~*~

To: Rhett M  
From: Jamie T  
Subject: Your Upcoming Schedule

Hey Rhett,

After our talk about your new roommate (if that's the right term???) yesterday, I took the opportunity to review your employment file. You've worked here for nearly six years and have not had any disciplinary actions in that time, not even a tardiness warning. You've been a hard, reliable worker and I've always been impressed with your performance. Plus you seem to get along with everyone, which, as you know, is no small feat.

I caught Link's story on the news the other night. What a nightmarish situation. It's an admirable thing you're doing for him. I don't think I could invite a complete stranger to live in my house (especially one who is a stranger to himself!).

Anyway, your current project is due next Tuesday and I know you'll have no problem meeting that deadline. You don't have anything lined up after that, so I propose that for the time being, I won't assign you any big projects (Tasha has been asking for more challenging projects lately and I think she's ready). Instead, I'll send you smaller things and allow you complete control over your schedule. Come to work, work from home, day, night, whatever. As long as you get it done, I don't care. Same salary, of course.

Let me know what you think.

Jamie

To: Jamie T  
From: Rhett M  
Subject: Re: Your Upcoming Schedule

Jamie-

What can I say but yes? It's the most generous offer I could ever imagine. I actually finish my guardian ad litem classes Monday and will get certified by the court Tuesday, so this is perfect. 

I think Tasha is a good choice. Rasheed would have been my other suggestion, but you'd know better.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,

Rhett (and Link)

~*~*~*~*

Text To: Link

(Rhett): my work schedule changed  
(Link): oh no  
(Rhett): no it's good  
(Link): what is it now  
(Rhett): whatever I want haha  
(Rhett): as long as I get all my work done I can spend as much time with you as we want  
(Rhett): take you to all your appts  
(Rhett): go places  
(Link): wow  
(Link): they must like you  
(Rhett): Jamie's a good one  
(Rhett): what do you want to do on saturday?  
(Rhett): we could go out to eat or something  
(Link): I want a haircut  
(Link): it's so long and the roots look awful  
(Link): the surgery site is almost grown over  
(Rhett): i'll find a salon by evergreen  
(Rhett): chinese buffet afterwards?  
(Link): sure


	8. Chapter 8

The days passed slowly for both men, but finally, Saturday arrived. Evergreen was out in a soulless suburb. Rhett drove by rows and rows of beige McMansions before arriving at the facility. It was a sleek, modern building with elaborate landscaping. Rhett checked in at the front desk and the receptionist directed him to Link's room. He walked past a lounge where a few people with wheelchairs and walkers were watching TV and a cafeteria where a couple people were lingering over their meals. It was grim even though he knew most of these people would go home in time.

Rhett turned the corner and was astonished to come across an aviary full of finches and canaries. It was about eight feet wide, stretched from floor to ceiling, and had swings, perches, branches, and nests, all covered in chirping birds bouncing about. A passing nurse saw his expression and laughed.

“Don't you just love them?” she said. “Just a little something fun for the patients.”

“This is such a cool idea.” Rhett was entranced by a pair of canaries squabbling over a leaf of lettuce for a moment before he remembered he was here for a reason. He turned and walked towards Link's room.

After a couple false turns, he found the right room. The door was open and female voices were coming out. Rhett couldn't understand them, but from the tone, he guessed they were Link's roommate's dramabomb family.

He stuck his head through the door. The bed near the window had the curtain pulled around it, and Rhett could see a woman's feet in heeled boots moving under it. That was the roommate, then. 

Link was sitting cross legged on the near bed. He had a National Geographic and was inspecting one of the pictures intently. He didn't notice Rhett, who took the opportunity to really look at him. This Link was a far cry from the Link he'd found on the path. He was clean shaven, his nails were clean and neatly trimmed, and his hair, though overgrown with two inches of gray roots, was thick and shiny. He wore the same pajama pants he'd worn in the hospital and a plain white t-shirt.

He's really good-looking, Rhett realized with a start. People are going to look at him. It was the first time he'd thought about Link having a life and relationships outside of being a patient and a ward of the court. It surprised him and made him feel a bit guilty. Of course Link was going to have a life. He might not have a past, but he had a future.

Rhett just hoped he'd stay in Link's future once he was identified.

“Hey,” he said. Link looked up and tossed his magazine aside before scrambling off the bed and launching himself at Rhett. He threw his arms around Rhett's neck and buried his face in Rhett's sweater. 

“I missed you so much,” he mumbled into the wool.

“I missed you, too,” Rhett said. He put one hand in Link's hair and the other around his waist. Whatever shampoo they had at Evergreen was nicer than the hospital's shampoo. Link's hair smelled vaguely herbal instead of antiseptic.

Link's roommate's dramabomb sister or cousin or aunt in the heeled boots came out from behind the curtain. She saw them embracing and sneered a little. Link still had his face against Rhett's chest and didn't see, but Rhett stared the woman down with cold eyes, just daring her to say something. 

She gave them a side-eye as she walked by, but didn't say anything.

Once she was gone, Rhett pulled a lock of Link's hair gently. “Ready for that haircut?'

“Yeah,” Link pulled himself out of the hug. “But look at this first.” He retrieved the National Geographic and paged through it until he found the picture he'd been looking at earlier. He handed it to Rhett.

It was an article about small town America. The picture was of a bridge over a river with thick trees on either side. A person was fishing from the bank.

“What about it?” Rhett asked.

Link traced a slender finger along the bridge. “It makes me feel... like I have a word on the tip of my tongue. It's so frustrating.”

“A memory?” Rhett asked.

Link nodded. “I think maybe I grew up by a river?”

“Huh.” Rhett thought for a moment. “You should keep the magazine.”

“Okay.” Link tucked it into his tote bag. “Let's go.”

~*~**~*~*~

Link spent the entire short ride to the salon looking out the window with his palm pressed against the glass. This is only was second car ride, Rhett realized. It's all new to him.

The salon was bright and modern. It had the vaguely chemical scent of salons everywhere. The receptionist smiled at them as they came in. “Do you have an appointment?” she asked.

“Um,” Link looked at Rhett. 

“It's under Link Doe,” Rhett said.

The receptionist consulted her appointment book. “Okay, that's with Ashley. Ashley!” she hollered across the room. “Your twelve o'clock is here!”

Ashley was in her mid twenties, with dramatic makeup and bleached hair in a high ponytail. “Hi honey, come on back,” she beckoned and Link started to follow.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Rhett asked. 

Link shook his head, so Rhett made himself comfortable in the waiting area and perused the magazines, none of which interested him. Instead, he watched Link and Ashley. He couldn't make out their conversation, but he got the gist of it. Link was animated and funny, and Ashley laughed a lot. When Link showed her the scar on the side of his head, her hand flew to her mouth in shock. He gestured around his head and Ashley lifted pieces of hair and moved them around. Rhett had been worried about how Link would do with someone outside of a medical context, but he was glad to see his fears were unfounded.

Soon the floor was littered with dark curls. There must be more hair on the floor than on his head, Rhett thought. 

Finally, Ashley trimmed the back of Link's neck, dusted the little hairs off with a big fluffy brush, and whipped off the smock. Link came over to Rhett and spread his arms out. “What do you think?”

“Wow,” Rhett was seriously impressed. “You look so good, Link.” He turned to Ashley. “You did an amazing job.”

“Thanks, hon.” She gave him a brilliant smile.

She'd cut the sides of Link's hair to match the length of the grown out shaved patch. The scar was clearly visible. The top and back were a little longer, and the long hair on the top was combed back. All of the dyed hair was gone.

Rhett paid for the haircut and bought Link a jar of pomade. He included a significant tip for Ashley as well. While Link went to the bathroom, she came over to Rhett.

“You've got a keeper there, you know,” she said. 

“Pardon?” Rhett said.

“Your boyfriend. You're a lucky guy.”

“Oh. He's, um, not my boyfriend. We're just friends.” Rhett didn't sound convincing, even to himself. 

“Really?” Ashley looked doubtful. “Well, keep him anyway. He's a sweetheart.”

“I know.” Rhett smiled. “He really is.”

“Who is?” Link was back from that bathroom.

“You. She said you were a sweetheart.”

“Oh!” Link was absurdly pleased. “You're a sweetheart too, Ashley.”

She gave them a wave as they left to go to the Chinese buffet.


	9. Chapter 9

Link remembered Chinese food...sort of. He didn't have any memories of eating it, but he knew he had eaten it before. The Double Dragon Super Buffet looked like every other Chinese buffet Rhett had ever been to (did they all get their décor from the same catalog?) but the food was pretty good. Link had to try a little of everything because he didn't know what his favorite dish had been. Rhett mostly stuck with the beef and broccoli.

“I don't think I ever ate that much in my life,” Link groaned, slumping over in the booth.

Rhett snorted. “You've been in the hospital eating hospital food. Of course you haven't eaten much.”

They left and walked out into the bright, chilly afternoon. Link shivered in the cold breeze.

“You should have changed into some jeans, man.” Rhett looked at Link's thin pajama pants.

“I don't have any.”

Rhett was dumbfounded. “You don't ha—what happened to the ones you were wearing when I found you?”

Link shrugged. “Paramedics cut them off, would be my guess.”

“Oh. Well, get in the car and I'll turn the heat on.” As Rhett drove back to Evergreen, he asked Link, “So what clothes do you have?”

“Um...” Link thought for a moment and ticked his wardrobe off on his fingers. “Pajama pants, five shirts, six pairs of boxers, six pairs of socks, a pair of sneakers, and this jacket.”

“That's it?” Rhett glanced at Link incredulously.

“Yeah. Stevie bought most of it, but I know she can't afford to buy a whole lot at once,” Link said.

“With her own money? What happened to that Crime Victims' Compensation Fund thing she was talking about a while ago?”

Link sighed. “I can't apply because I don't have a Social Security Number. Or a name. Or a birthday. Y'know.”

“Yeah, I know.” Rhett drummed pulled into a parking spot at Evergreen and drummed his fingertips on the steering wheel. “I have this horrible feeling that you not having a legal identity is going to be a huge pain in the ass for both of us. Maybe we should contact that lawyer.”

Link had pulled the sun visor down and was looking at his new haircut. “At least I look old enough that I probably won't get carded if I try to buy a beer.” They both laughed.

~*~*~**~

Link's room was empty and quiet when they got back.

“Where's your roommate?” Rhett asked.

“Physical therapy, probably.” Link flopped down on the bed and kicked his shoes off. “I don't know what they do to him there but he looks miserable when he gets back and then he falls asleep and snores.” He scooted up towards the pillow and patted the middle of the bed for Rhett to sit on.

Rhett also kicked off his shoes (making sure they landed next to Link's, so he could check the size when he left) and joined Link on the bed. 

“I don't think I've sat on a bed with someone like this since I was a kid,” Rhett said.

Link looked at the bed blankly. “I don't know if I've ever sat on a bed with someone like this.” He looked up at Rhett and quirked his eyebrows in a shrug.

“Does it bother you, when I say things about my past?” Rhett asked.

“Ehh...” Link made a see-saw movement with his hand. “I mean, yes, of course it does. You say you sat like this as a kid, so I try to remember if I did it too, and there's nothing there. It's awful, Rhett. But you having memories isn't, like, an insult to me, I guess? You're not having memories at me.” He punctuated the statement with a shoving motion.

“Just, if there's anything I can do to make it easier for you...” Rhett trailed off.

Link's blue eyes widened. “Anything you can do? Are you kidding me? You saved my life and you're letting me move in with you!”

“Okay, well, if you put it like that...” Rhett said, feigning modesty. Link giggled and then got serious.

“Honestly, man, I don't know how many people would be willing to do what you're doing for me. When Stevie said I would have to go to a shelter, I was so scared,” Link said.

“I know. I saw it in your eyes,” Rhett replied.

Link nodded. “But you didn't even hesitate a second even though we barely know each other.”

“But don't you feel like we do know each other? Like we're two parts of a whole?” Rhett asked. Link nodded slowly.

“I feel it too,” he said. “But I don't know what to do about it.”

“We'll figure it out.”

The conversation moved on to lighter topics. Rhett told Link that Ashley at the salon thought he was Rhett's boyfriend. 

Link spluttered with laughter. “Your boyfriend! I don't think it's legal for me to be your boyfriend even if I wanted to.”

“You can see why someone might think that, though, right?” Rhett asked, nervously pleating the edge of a sheet between his fingers. He needed to know if Link felt the same weird energy between them.

“Of course I do,” Link grinned. “Does it bother you?”

“No. I just wanted to know if we were on the same page.” Rhett smoothed the sheet against the mattress. The wrinkles from his pleats stayed.

“We're friends, Rhett.”

But they both knew that their relationship was something more than the average friendship.

~*~*~*~*~

Rhett stayed and talked for a while longer, until Link's roommate and his dramabomb family returned. The man really did look exhausted and miserable, but that might have been because the three women with him kept squabbling and sniping at each other while completely ignoring him.

“Please take me with you,” Link whispered.

“I can't,” Rhett whispered back. He leaned over to get his shoes and snuck a look at Link's sneaker as he did so. Size 11.

“Rhett, please. If I hear them refer to his ex as 'that bitch' one more time I am going to lose it.”

“Link.” Rhett finished tying his shoe and sat up. “Come here.”

Link slid over and sat next to Rhett, who wrapped his arms around the shorter man. “It's only a few more days. You can do it. Go watch the birds in the hall. Go find some more magazines to look at. Go talk to some bored old people. Don't just stay in here and listen to them. Unlike that poor bastard”-he jerked his head towards the curtained bed- “you can get away from it. Okay?”

“Okay.” Link rested his head on Rhett's shoulder.

“Y'know, I'm proud of you,” Rhett said.

Link turned and gave him a quizzical look. “For what?”

“You're in such a shitty situation but you're still so positive. It's admirable.”

Link snorted. “You just think that because I'm happy when you visit. When we live together, you'll see a lot more negative emotions, believe me.”

“That's fine,” Rhett gave Link a squeeze. “I'll be here for you.”

“I know. Thanks.”


	10. Chapter 10

On the way home, Rhett stopped at Target. He bought Link some plain colored t-shirts, a couple pairs of jeans and sweatpants, socks and underwear, a hoodie, a basic pair of gray sneakers, and a coat as well as an assortment of sample size toiletries. They'd get Link by until he picked out his own stuff.

At home, Rhett pulled the tags off the clothes and folded them neatly. The bottom two drawers in the dresser were still filled with folded linens, and Rhett didn't move them because even counting the clothes Link already owned, there weren't enough to fill the top two drawers. 

He hung the coat and hoodie up in the closet and looked around the room. Pale green walls, gray curtains that used to be in Rhett's bedroom, a weird painting of the Golden Gate Bridge on burgundy velvet, one of his mom's handmade quilts on the bed...it was a guest room. A place where castoffs from the rest of the house ended up because no one spent any time there. If he'd had any idea what sort of styles Link liked, Rhett would have at least replaced the velvet painting. As it was, Link would just have to deal with it for the time being. Maybe he'd like it.

Sunday, Rhett spent trying to finish up as much of his work project as possible so that when he was in the office on Monday, all he'd have to do would be to add the finishing touches before submitting it on Tuesday. He made good progress and when he finally stopped, he was astonished to find it was after 8pm. Guiltily, Rhett picked up his phone to see how many texts he'd missed from Link.

None. He hadn't received a text from Link since before noon. Rhett frowned and texted Link. No answer. He called. No answer.

Text to: Stevie  
(Rhett): hey sorry to bother you late like this but have you heard from Link today?  
(Stevie): no  
(Stevie): why  
(Rhett): he hasn't texted all day  
(Rhett): didn't answer his phone  
(Rhett): i'm calling evergreen  
(Stevie): k let me know what you find

Rhett called Evergreen and had a terse conversation with the receptionist where she assured him that while of course he would have been contacted if something had happened to Link, she didn't have any information and would have to send a message to Link's nurse, who would call Rhett back.

It was nearly a half hour later before Rhett's phone rang. He grabbed at it so quickly that he knocked it off the arm of the couch where it had been lying. Rhett scrambled after it ungracefully and answered with a breathless, “Hello?”

“Yes, may I speak with Rhett?” A male voice with a West African accent.

“This is Rhett.”

“Ah, hello. My name is Patrick and I am Link's nurse for the evening. You were checking on him?”

“Yes. He hasn't texted me and didn't answer my call earlier. It's not like him.” Rhett gripped his phone tightly and reminded himself not to snap at Patrick, who hadn't done anything wrong. Yet.

“He has had a migraine all afternoon, very bad. Finally, we had to call the doctor to authorize a Toradol injection a few hours ago. He has been asleep since,” Patrick said.

“What's...Tora...?” Rhett asked.

“Toradol. It is a painkiller. Like ibuprofen. It made him sleepy,” Patrick clarified.

“Oh.” Relief washed over Rhett. He let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. “He's okay, though, right?”

“Yes, he should feel fine tomorrow.”

“Thank god.” A thought struck Rhett. “Those awful people aren't in his room while he's trying to sleep, are they?”

Surprisingly, Patrick laughed. He had a great laugh, deep and rich. “No, they left when he went to lie down after lunch. I turned off the lights and told them he needed quiet.”

Patrick's tone of voice suggested that there was more to the story, so Rhett made a mental note to ask Link tomorrow.

“Thank you, Patrick. I'll let you get back to your other patients now,” Rhett said.

Text to: Stevie  
(Rhett): talked to the nurse  
(Rhett): Link had a bad migraine all afternoon  
(Rhett): they gave him a shot  
(Stevie): a shot?  
(Rhett): tora something  
(Rhett): painkiller, made him fall asleep  
(Stevie): I don't think he's gotten one that bad before  
(Stevie): probably needs to see the neuro soon  
(Rhett): yeah

Rhett spent quite a while researching migraines that evening.

~*~*~*~*~

Text to: Link  
(Rhett): heard you had a rough day yesterday  
(Link): very  
(Link): I feel weird today  
(Link): dizzy  
(Link): confused  
(Link): but no pain  
(Rhett): that's good  
(Rhett): did your nurse really kick out your roommate's family?  
(Link): yes lol  
(Link): he told them to be quiet but they wouldn't  
(Link): so he told them they had to leave  
(Link): he was very polite  
(Link): ladies please I must ask you to leave, this man is suffering and he needs quiet  
(Rhett): i'm gonna buy him a pizza

~*~*~*~*~*

Text from: Link  
(Link): are you out yet  
(Link): Rhett  
(Link): text me for the love of god  
(Link): i'm dying over here  
(Rhett): i'm out  
(Rhett): guess who has a new guardian  
(Link): is it me?  
(Rhett): it's you  
(Link): omg

Text from: Stevie  
(Stevie): congrats!  
(Stevie): see you tomorrow at 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually own a burgundy velvet painting of the Golden Gate Bridge:
> 
> https://pinecontents.tumblr.com/post/187219202891/my-burgundy-velvet-painting-of-the-golden-gate


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning, Rhett sat impatiently on the couch. He glanced at the clock again. Still not 10. He wandered over to the kitchen and made a cup of tea, more to take up time than because he wanted any tea.

The doorbell rang as he was throwing away the teabag. Rhett put the cup down on the counter and rushed to the door. He threw it open.

Stevie and Link stood on the front porch. Link was dressed in his usual outfit of pajama pants and white t-shirt and his unstyled hair flopped over his forehead, but Stevie wore a full suit instead of her typical slacks and casual blouse. Her hair was up in a sleek bun and she was wearing lipstick.

“Wow, Stevie, you look grea-” Rhett was cut off by Link flinging his arms around his neck. Stevie laughed.

“Thanks. I have to get to court for an emergency hearing, so I can't stay.” She gave them each a quick hug before making an I'm-watching-you gesture at Rhett.

After she drove away, the two men stared at each other for a moment before Rhett started to giggle. Link joined in and grabbed Rhett's forearms. They laughed and jumped around the living room like overgrown children.

Rhett held up a hand. He was breathing heavily. “I gotta stop,” he said. “I'm too old for this shit.”

“Me too.” Link collapsed onto the couch and looked around. Rhett couldn't read the expression on his face.

“What's on your mind, Link?” he asked.

“Just another new experience.” Link sighed. “I know what a house is, and all the stuff that's in a house but,” he gestured broadly around the room. “Here I am in a house for the first time.”

Rhett sat next to him. “You doin' okay?”

Link shrugged. “I guess. It's just hard, you know?”

“I know. It's gonna be that way for a while, too, but soon you'll get all basic stuff over with. And it won't all be bad. You'll get to pet a dog for the first time, and ride a roller coaster, and eat an ice cream cone, and have a first kiss...” Rhett listed off firsts until Link started laughing.

“Okay, okay, I get it!” He poked Rhett in the leg. “Wanna give me the grand tour?”

“Sure. Give me your jacket and I'll hang it up.” They stood and Rhett caught sight of something on Link's wrist as he handed over the jacket. “What's that?”

“Oh,” Link held his wrist out to Rhett. “Stevie got it for me. She said it was important, now that I wasn't in a medical facility.” It was a medical alert bracelet. A silver plaque featuring a red enamel Rod of Asclepius was held onto a silver chain with a complicated looking clasp. Rhett flipped the plaque over and read the engraving on the underside.

LINK DOE  
MEMORY IMPAIRED  
RETROGRADE AMNESIA  
CONTACT IMMEDIATELY

Both Rhett and Stevie's phone numbers were listed.

“Wow,” Rhett said. “What if you take it off, though?”

“Can't,” Link picked at the clasp. “It takes two hands to undo so someone else has to do it. She said it was made for people with Alzheimer's.” He looked at Rhett unhappily.

“Oh, Link...” Rhett pulled him into a hug. Link burst into tears against his chest.

“I wish I wasn't like this. I wish I could just remember, Rhett! It's so hard, it's just so goddamn hard,” Link sagged into Rhett's arms. “And then having to wear this?” 

“It's not a bad idea, though,” Rhett pointed out.

“I never said it was a bad idea. I just don't like it,” Link straightened up and wiped at his wet face. “Ugh.”

“Once you get your real name back, you should get it tattooed on your butt,” Rhett suggested.

“Oh gosh. That's not a bad idea, either.”

Rhett lead Link into the kitchen (“Eat whatever you want. It's your house too.”), upstairs for a quick peek into the office, past the basement door (“washer and dryer and storage, mostly”), Rhett's room, the bathroom (“Of course I have a big tub, Link, I'm a big man”), and finally Link's room. Rhett flung the door open and Link walked in and turned in a circle.

“Wow.” He pointed at the velvet painting of the Golden Gate Bridge. “What the hell is that?”

“It's art, man,” Rhett said as if it was obvious. Link gave him an incredulous glance. “I'll put it in the basement if you don't like it.”

“It can stay until I find something else, I guess.” Link brushed aside the gauzy curtains and looked out into the backyard. It was small and full of winter brown plants. He turned to the bed and touched the quilt. Interlocking rings in blue and green lay on a smoky gray background. “This is beautiful. Did someone make it for you?”

Rhett nodded. “My mom. She makes 'em faster than she has gift giving occasions to give them away at, which is why there's one in here, one on my bed, and one on the couch in the living room. If you stick around long enough, she'll probably make one for you, too.”

“I'd be okay with that,” Link said as he walked over to the dresser. A small bundle wrapped in tissue paper sat on top. He looked at Rhett. “Is this for me?” Rhett nodded. Link unfolded the tissue.

Inside was a dark gray t-shirt with a weathered silver Triforce symbol on the front. Link held it up and gave Rhett a puzzled glance. “What is this?”

“It's the same shirt you were wearing when I found you on the trail,” Rhett said. He'd spent quite a while tracking down the exact shirt. “You don't recognize it?” Link shook his head.

“Do you recognize the Triforce symbol?” Another shake. “From The Legend of Zelda?” Another shake. Rhett took a deep breath.

“So...” he said slowly. “When I said maybe you were Link because you were wearing a Triforce shirt, you had no idea what I was talking about?”

“Um, no, actually.” Link folded the shirt into neat rectangle.

He's a vulnerable adult, Rhett! Stevie's voice echoed in his head. He agrees to things he doesn't understand because he doesn't want to seem impaired.

“Link.” Rhett was aghast. “You can't just agree to things without knowing what they are.”

Link shot him an annoyed look. “I was maybe a week out from brain surgery when I agreed to that. I agreed to a lot of stuff that first week. Anyway, Link just felt right. Like, it isn't my real name, but maybe it's close?”

“Huh.” Rhett filed that away for later consideration. “You should open the drawer, too.”

Link was delighted with the clothes and immediately kicked Rhett out of he could change. Rhett wandered back into the kitchen where he found his cup of tea from earlier. It was completely cold, so he poured it down the sink and set about washing the cup. He didn't hear Link approaching until he spoke up.

“Hey.” Rhett shut off the water and turned around. “How do I look?”

Rhett's dark eyebrows shot up. Link had put some product in his hair and finger-combed it back and was wearing dark, straight cut jeans, a turquoise t-shirt, a heather gray hoodie, and gray sneakers. All basic things that Rhett had purchased a few days ago at Target, but together, on Link, they looked amazing. 

“Wow,” Rhett managed to get out. Link laughed.

“That good, huh?”

“Yeah!” It was strange to see Link in real clothes. In the month they'd been spending time together, Link had worn either a hospital gown or a white t-shirt and pajama pants. He'd looked like an invalid. Now the only sign of his medical issues was the curved scar up behind his left ear and the bracelet on his wrist. Otherwise, he looked like any other person you might pass on the street. Something about it made Rhett's heart clench in his chest.

“So what do you want to do now?” Rhett asked, as much to distract himself as anything else.

“Can we eat?” Link asked. “I didn't really have any breakfast.”

“Sure.” Rhett was happy to eat any time. “There's a place a few blocks away that does a good brunch.”


	12. Chapter 12

The brunch place was much busier than the Chinese buffet had been. All the activity made Link nervous, so they didn't linger even though they both enjoyed the food. After Rhett paid, they left and walked around the neighborhood for a while.

“People were looking at me in there.” Link kicked a pebble down the sidewalk as they walked home. The weather was warm enough that it was comfortable to just wear a hoodie.

“They probably recognized you from that news story, man,” Rhett said. “Did you ever hear anything back from that?”

Link shook his head. “No. Stevie talked to Detective Rodriguez and he told her that none of the leads went anywhere.”

“That sucks. Maybe you should try to get on some bigger shows. Like one of those daytime talk shows,” Rhett suggested. “Bigger audience. Nationwide.” Link grimaced.

“I watched some of those in the hospital and they were awful.” He sighed. “I just want to find my name without having everyone all up in my business, you know?”

“Yeah.” Rhett could understand not wanting to be on daytime television. They walked in silence for a little while. Rhett was still thinking.

“What about a DNA test?” he said finally. “Like 23andMe. Then you can see if you can find relatives online.”

Link was unfamiliar with 23andMe and ancestry.com and it took Rhett the rest of the walk home to explain it. He didn't do a very good job because his understanding was basically:

1—swab cheek  
2—put results online  
3—???  
4—find relatives

“And you said they can catch murderers this way?” Link said.

“Yeah, it was all over the news a while back when they caught the Golden State Killer. Does that ring any bells for you?”

Link shook his head. “I remember some news stories from when I was younger, but more recent stuff is mostly a blank.”

“Huh,” Rhett unlocked the door. “Gotta remember to get you a key soon. I kinda want to read you a list of the major headlines from different years and see what you do and don't remember.”

“That's...not a terrible idea,” Link said.

Several hours later, Rhett had assembled a rough timeline of Link's memory loss. They ended up adding movies and music to the news items. Rhett's method was just to ask Link if he remembered an event or if it at least seemed familiar, and to mark his answer. Rhett also marked down his own answers as a control. It wasn't terribly scientific.

“Here. It's a start, at least.” Rhett handed his hand drawn timeline to Link, who took it with trembling hands.

Link's recollection of his teenage years seemed normal, in that he remembered about as much as Rhett did, but in the late nineties his recall began getting spotty and dropped entirely by 2000 and didn't return until around 2005, with the exception of September 11 (“Never forget, Link, am I right?”), and then continued with a few small blank spots, until early 2013, when it dropped off altogether.

“It's happened before,” Link tapped each of the blank spots on the timeline.

“We don't actually know how accurate that is,” Rhett pointed out. “Mine has some blank spots, too.”

“Not multi-year ones, though.” Link put the timeline on the table and sighed. “What are we even doing here?”

“We're just doing the best we can, I guess.”

~*~*~*~*~

Over the next few weeks, the two men developed a schedule. In the morning, they would do something together— sometimes things like a visit to the zoo, sometimes running errands, sometimes a visit to Link's neurologist or one of his other medical appointments, sometimes a meeting with Stevie. In the afternoon, Link would take a nap (the more tired he became, the more likely he was to get a migraine) and Rhett would work in his office upstairs. Eventually he planned on returning to work in the office in the afternoons, once Link was more settled.

In the evening, they made dinner together and then usually watched a movie or a couple of TV episodes. What media Link did remember was fairly hazy, so almost everything they watched was new to him. He knew the original Star Wars trilogy, so they watched that followed by the prequels (Link didn't care for them much) and The Force Awakens. Link was delighted to learn that a new Star Wars movie would be coming out soon and they made plans to see it in the theater.

Rhett liked watching Link watch movies. Rhett had seen almost every movie they watched together before, so he spent a lot of time looking at Link. The other man had a wonderfully expressive face, and Rhett loved catching him in the middle of a laugh or with a look of surprise on his face.

The more time they spent together, the more things Rhett noticed about Link. His perpetually shaky hands, his sharp teeth, the way he pushed his glasses up when they slid down, how his accent thickened when he was tired or upset, his crooked smile, his strangely overactive fight or flight response… his past might be gone, but his personality sure wasn't.


	13. Chapter 13

He knew Link noticed things about him, too. Sometimes, he caught Link looking at him when he thought Rhett wasn't paying attention. Link never looked ashamed at being caught. He'd just give Rhett a little smile and raise his eyebrows.

The weeks became months. Stevie's visits decreased from weekly to every other week to once a month. The neurologist said she was very pleased with Link's recovery from his craniotomy and started weaning him from his seizure prevention meds. Rhett ordered 23andMe tests for himself as well as Link (“99.9% European? No surprise there.”) and put the results into a few different genetic database websites. Rhett immediately found a cousin he hadn't known about, which confirmed longstanding rumors that his uncle had been cheating on his wife. This ended up causing quite the scandal in the McLaughlin family, which Rhett did his best to stay out of.

Link didn't find any relatives.

“Oh, Link,” Rhett said as he rubbed Link's back. They were sitting on the couch and Link was slumped over Rhett in defeat. He hadn't cried when his results came up empty, but it was a close thing. “More people put their results in every day. Eventually someone will match you.”

“That could take forever, though.”

“Well, maybe there's something else we can try. You don't want to be on TV. How about a Youtube video? Maybe you could go viral,” Rhett suggested.

“Maybe,” said Link. Rhett could tell by his tone that he really meant no.

They just sat there for a while. Rhett ran his fingers through Link's hair and thought about their relationship. There had been an immediate connection between them. If he was honest with himself, it started the moment Link had opened his eyes on the trail. Rhett grabbed his hand and hadn't let go yet.


	14. Chapter 14

They were something more than just friends and something not quite a relationship. They never discussed it, and nothing physical ever happened beyond hugs and sitting leaned against each other on the couch while watching movies, but it was clear to everyone that they were partners.

~*~*~*~*~

“Are you sleeping with him?” Stevie asked bluntly. She hadn't been by in over a month.

Rhett's eyebrows shot up. “Stevie!” He was genuinely shocked. “What the fuck?”

They were sitting at the table. Rhett glanced to the back door, as if Link could hear them from the backyard where he was either doing yardwork, lounging on the patio, or playing with the neighbor's fat calico cat. Link had said he wanted to get the yard cleared up before the spring plants started growing, but he spent a lot of time back there not working.

“Rhett, I literally have to ask.”

“No, we aren't. Jesus Christ, Stevie. You of all people-” Rhett had moved past shock into anger. 

Stevie held up her hands and cut him off. “I believe you! I really do. But part of the way I was able to get this approved was by promising I'd keep an eye on you, and I see how you look at him.”

“How I look at him?” Rhett crossed his arms and scowled at her. “And how is that?”

“Like you have a crush on him, almost,” Stevie answered.

“Huh.” Rhett uncrossed his arms. “I don't know. The way I feel about him... it's like he's a part of me that was missing and I never realized it. I never even felt like that about my fiancée.”

“You had a fiancée?” Stevie raised a sculpted brow.

“Yeah. Three years ago, but she left like two weeks before the wedding. It was awful.”

Stevie winced, then looked past Rhett's shoulder. He heard the back door bang open as Link came inside. 

“Rhett, do you like cats?”

“No,” Rhett said without turning around. “And you can't have one.”

Link heaved a sigh and plopped into a chair at the table. “Hey Stevie.”

“Hey Link. I heard you got a bicycle.”

“Yeah, turns out what they say about riding a bike is true. I'm gonna look for a job now.” Link started pulling burrs off his sleeve and piling them neatly onto the table.

“You can't legally work. You don't have a Social Security Number,” Stevie pointed out.

“Not like, a job job,” he clarified. “Like a volunteer job. A couple mornings a week, when Rhett's at work. I just get so bored.” Link's condition had improved so much that Rhett was only taking a morning off every other week or so. Link had been working through Rhett's DVD, album, and book collections, but now he was badly suffering from cabin fever.

“Is that my sweater?” Rhett suddenly demanded.

“You said I could borrow it.”

“Not to do yardwork in! Or get cat hair all over!”

“Children,” Stevie cut in. “Surely this can wait until I leave.” They both rolled their eyes at her.

“Are you going to be able to get around okay once you find something?” she asked.

Link nodded. “Rhett will go with me the first couple times. And we have that app that lets you track each other's location.”

“We've actually had it since he moved in,” Rhett said.

Stevie nodded. “Good plan. How's the anxiety, Link? Are you doing any better with the bedroom door?” Link shook his head.

Something about being in his bedroom with the door closed caused him severe distress. He could only stand to have it shut for a few minutes before starting to panic. This was unfortunately coupled with an intense need for privacy, which caused a few meltdowns in the first week he stayed with Rhett, until Rhett replaced the bedroom door with a set of heavy curtains. They matched the curtains that had replaced the gauzy gray ones that came with the room, which didn't block enough light when Link had a migraine.

Rhett never went into Link's room unless invited. In fact, after the first day, he'd only gone in a few times. He installed the curtains, replaced the velvet Golden Gate Bridge with a bulletin board that Link pinned his memory aids like National Geographic river picture to, and helped Link carry in a small desk that he found on the curb.

They'd discussed his bedroom door issue at length and finally just chalked it up to a mystery of Link's past. “Maybe part of that trauma the doctor said could cause a fugue state,” he'd shrugged.

“It's not that big a deal,” Link said. “The curtain is fine.”

“It's not the worst coping mechanism I've ever seen,” Stevie had to admit.

“He's gotten a lot better about other stuff,” Rhett pointed out. “Like, he doesn't have any issue with being in crowded places anymore. Or red pickup trucks.” Another mystery of the past.

“Still don't like 'em,” Link muttered. He swept the pile of burrs into his hand and dumped them in the kitchen trash.

“Yeah, but you don't hyperventilate if you see one now.”

“True.” Link sat back down.

“How often are you having migraines?” Stevie asked.

“Like once every two or three weeks? If I catch them early enough to take medication they're manageable. So a big improvement,” Link said. He'd been having them twice a week and Rhett had had to take him to the ER several times. Finally the neurologist had found effective treatment for him.

“Sounds like things are going pretty well for you,” Stevie said. Link nodded.

They chatted for a little while longer before Stevie had to leave. She gave each of them a little hug and then went on her way.

~*~*~*~*~

Rhett confiscated his sweater from Link and stowed it safely away in his laundry basket. When he came back into the living room, Link was sitting on the couch with his knees pulled up to his chest, wrapped in the living room quilt. This one was triangles of gold, yellow, gray, and black arranged in zigzags.

“You okay, Link?” Rhett asked as he sat. He recognized Link's posture as the one he adopted when he was upset.

“I worry about stuff,” Link said quietly.

“I know,” Rhett scooted closer and put an arm around Link's shoulder. The dark-haired man leaned his head against Rhett.

“Talking to Stevie... it made me realize how much I like it here. I like you. And I don't want to have to leave,” said Link.

Rhett glanced down at him. All he could see was the top of Link's hair. “Why would you have to leave?”

“If we find my name and I have a family. I'd have to go back to them,” he explained. “But they'd be strangers.”

“Oh,” Rhett said. “I mean, we'd still be friends.”

“But I don't want to just be friends. I want to be, um...” he waved a hand around vaguely at the two of them. “Whatever this is.”

“I don't know what to call it either,” Rhett admitted, “but I know exactly what you mean.”

He took a deep breath. “And you wouldn't have to go back, Link. You could decide to stay here with me. It's your choice.”

“Huh. I guess it is.” Link considered the idea. “God, what a decision.”

“It's a moot point until you find your name,” Rhett said. “And before you ask, yes, I checked the DNA results this week and there weren't any matches.” Waiting for matches was another thing that caused Link anxiety. He finally asked Rhett to change the passwords on all the DNA websites and check once a week.

“But,” Rhett held up a finger. “I've been doing some research. There are people out there who can take a DNA sample and find relatives in ways that regular people can't. They, like, find really distant relatives and build a family tree, or something. That's how the Golden State Killer was caught.”

Link looked up at him. “I can't believe you didn't figure that out when you first brought up DNA testing.”

Rhett rolled his eyes. “I know. I felt so stupid when I figured it out. But these people don't just find murderers, they help adoptees find their birth families and identify unknown bodies and stuff like that. I read an article about this one researcher and it had a big long list of all the people she identified.”

Link was quiet for a long moment. Finally he said, “What if I'm a murderer?”

Rhett burst out laughing. Link began to giggle too. Finally Rhett got a hold of himself.

“Oh man, that's not what I expected you to say,” he said as he wiped at his eyes.

“What did you expect?” Link asked.

“I dunno, but not that,” Rhett replied. “So do you want to email this lady?”

Link sighed. “Let me think about it.”


	15. Chapter 15

It took Link a few weeks to come to decision about contacting the genetic researcher. In the end, he decided to do it. Meanwhile, he found a volunteer gig with a food bank.

“It's Tuesday and Thursday from 8am to noon,” he told Rhett. “Sorting donations and packing them into parcels to be given to families.”

“That sounds good,” Rhett said. “Giving back to the community and all that.”

“Yeah. The only thing that I'm worried about is that most of the other volunteers on that shift are college kids doing community service for stuff like trespassing and graffiti.” Link grimaced a little.

“College kids aren't terrible,” Rhett said. “It could be middle schoolers.”

Link shuddered. “God forbid.”

~*~*~*~*~

“Got your phone, keys, migraine pill, wallet?” Rhett asked. Link rolled his eyes.

“Yes, dad.” They got on their bikes. Link had an expensive helmet that he'd gotten the guy at the bike shop to fit him for. He'd decided he'd had enough head injuries for a lifetime. Rhett allowed Link to lead the way to the food bank. He found it easily.

“Do you want me to come in with you?” Rhett asked. 

Link gave him an aghast look. “God, no. I'm forty years old, probably. I think I can handle it.”

“Cool. Call me if you need me. I'll be back at noon.” Rhett watched Link lock up his bike and go inside before pedaling away.

Rhett had planned to do some actual work while Link was gone, but he found himself unable to concentrate. Was Link having a good time? Were the kids being assholes? Would it tire Link out too much and trigger a migraine? He abandoned his computer and took down his guitar. Rhett hadn't played much since Link came to stay with him, and he lost himself in it for a couple hours.

When it was time to collect Link, Rhett rode down to the food bank. Link's bike was still locked up outside, so he went in. A woman at the front desk directed him to the break room in the back corner of the facility. As he got closer, he could hear voices and laughter coming from inside.

“Missouri?” A shriek of male laughter. “Who put Missouri? Courtney, was it you? That's stupid, you're stupid. He has an accent. He's from the South. Missouri ain't the South!”

“Shut up, David!” yelled a girl, presumable Courtney. “Southern Missouri is the South. Anyway, you can't just say 'the South'. You have to at least pick a state.”

“Fine.” David again. There was the sound of a coin being slapped on a table. “Imma say... Georgia.”

“I dunno, David.” That was Link. “My roommate grew up in Georgia, and he doesn't think it's a Georgia accent.”

Rhett looked in the door. Link was sitting at a table near the door. He caught sight of Rhett and gave him a wink. It was unexpectedly flirty and Rhett's eyebrows shot up. Link laughed and beckoned him in.

“Ayy, who's this?” A stocky kid in an oversized white t-shirt with short spiky dreads said as he caught sight of Rhett.

“This is my roommate, Rhett. Rhett, this is David,” Link said. Rhett waved. 

“You want in, man?” David brandished a sheet of paper at him.

“What is it?” Rhett asked.

“We're making bets on where he's from! A quarter to guess a state, fifty cents for a state and city.”

“Sure.” Rhett dug in his pocket and gave David fifty cents. “Raleigh, North Carolina.”

David wrote down the guess and taped it to the wall. He swept up the little pile of coins and gave them to Link, who graciously accepted them before leaving with Rhett.

“So how much did you get?” Rhett asked when they got home. Link emptied his pockets out onto the table and counted up the coins.

“A dollar seventy five.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Link sent an email to the genetic researcher, Maria Stephenson, but didn't get an answer back.

“You might have to give it some time,” Rhett said. “She probably gets a million emails from people wanting help.”

“I'd like to think I'm a little more interesting than most of them,” Link said. He sighed. “It took so long for me to decide I actually wanted to try this that I want it to just happen already.”

“Are you still scared of what you might find out?” Rhett asked. He was lying on the couch with his head in Link's lap. Link combed his fingers through Rhett's hair idly.

“Of course.” Link looked down at him in surprise. “But I can't just wait stall forever because I'm scared. If nothing else, I need a legal identity and it's probably easier to find the old one than get a new one.”

“Seriously.” Rhett thought about all the trouble they'd been through trying to get financial assistance for Link's medical debt. There weren't any programs that he qualified for. Finally the hospital had agreed to take the proceeds from the GoFundMe and write off the remaining balance. Rhett ended up paying for Evergreen and Link's medications and other follow up care out of pocket.

_“Rhett, you can't keep paying for all this!” Link was frustrated nearly to the point of tears. He'd been staying with Rhett for about two months. “I'm never going to be able to pay you back.”_

_Rhett blinked. “I'm not expecting you to pay me back.”_

_“But you can't afford to keep paying for all this...”_

_Rhett crossed his arms. “You know that quilt in your room?”_

_The odd question caught Link off guard. “Uh, yeah?”_

_“That pattern, with the circles, is called a double wedding ring. My mom made it because I was going to get married.”_

_“You were?” Link's eyes were big. “What happened?”_

_“What happened was that she wanted to go back to school to get her Master's degree, so I got a better job, the one that I have now, so she could quit her job and go to school full time. I paid for everything, and I paid her tuition, and two weeks after she graduated, which was two weeks before we were supposed to get married, she left. Debt free. So if I could support two people and pay tuition three years ago, I can support two people and pay a few medical bills now. You don't have to worry about money.”_

“And you're right,” Link continued. “There's nothing that says I have to leave my life here.”

“Not gonna lie, I don't want you to leave,” Rhett said. Link smiled at him.

“This is going to sound crazy, but I think this may have all been worth it, just to meet you,” he said.

Rhett reached up and put a hand on Link's cheek. Link turned his face into it and for a moment Rhett thought Link was going to kiss his palm. But he didn't, and after a second, Rhett withdrew his hand. The moment passed.

“You wanna make some lunch?” he asked. 

“Sure,” said Link.

~*~*~*~*

Link couldn't cook. Rhett had been trying to teach him. It was slow going.

(“I have no episodic or semantic memory of cooking,” Link declared. “I don't think I ever learned.”

“You don't have any procedural memory, either,” Rhett said. “If you keep holding your knife like that, you're going to hurt yourself.”)

“I don't know, Rhett.” Link poked at the eggs and peppers in his pan with a spatula. “Maybe I just don't have any cooking ability.”

“You can't just live on cereal, Link.”

“I can make sandwiches,” Link countered.

“Lord.” Rhett looked up to the heavens for help. “Maybe you'll discover you have a wife who always cooked for you.”

“Oh, I wouldn't have a wife.” Link tried to fold his omelet and failed. “Damn.”

“Why not?” Rhett took the spatula and did his best to save the omelet. 

Link rolled his eyes. “Because I'm gay, Rhett. Duh.”

“Oh,” was all Rhett could come up with. He had no idea.

Link grabbed the spatula back. “'Oh'? What does that mean?”

“It means, I didn't know you were gay,” Rhett said. 

Link turned away from the stove and looked at Rhett in astonishment. “You didn't know?”

“I just never thought about it, I guess. It's never really come up.”

Link shook his head in mild exasperation. “Not sure how you missed it, bud, but okay. Does it bother you?”

“That you're gay?” said Rhett. “No. But I do feel kind of bad for missing something so fundamental about you.”

Link snorted. “A lot of my fundamentals are missing, Rhett. Just because I didn't actually need to remember anything to figure this one out doesn't mean it would necessarily be obvious to you.” He grabbed the pan and slid his omelet onto a plate. It looked more like scrambled eggs. “Ugh. At least it smells good.”

What Rhett wanted to say was that he wasn't straight either, that people already thought they were together, that he didn't ever want to share his life with anyone but Link, but what he really said was, “You didn't burn it this time, so I think you should call it a success.”

Their entire relationship so far had been built on an understanding that they were the closest of close friends. There was plenty of physical contact, true, but none of it was sexual in nature. If anyone had asked Rhett if he loved Link, he could have responded that of course he did—they were best friends. But Rhett really and truly had no idea that Link was gay, and it had thrown him for a loop. Did he love Link, or was he in love with Link? Did Link feel the same way about him? And none of that even touched on the fact that he was Link's legal guardian.

Rhett was going to have to do a lot of thinking. He leaned over the kitchen island and buried his face in his hands.

“Yeah, this is pretty good.” Link had his back to the kitchen and was sitting with his legs outstretched under the table and his feet on the chair across from him. Nothing had changed for him in the past few minutes, and he was completely oblivious to Rhett's inner turmoil.

Rhett looked up. “See? You can cook. Sort of.”

Link raised a hand and extended his middle finger.


	16. Chapter 16

Sure enough, a few days later, Link got a reply from Maria Stephenson. She said she would be delighted to take his case.

“Told you I was interesting.” Link smirked at Rhett, who rolled his eyes.

On Link's end of things, the process wouldn't be much different than the 23andMe test. Maria would send him some swabs and he'd send them back.

“And then we wait while she does her thing,” Link concluded.

“In your perfect world, what would you find?” Rhett asked. He and Link were lounging in Adirondack chairs on the back patio. The neighbor's fat calico cat was glaring at them reproachfully from under a bush in the corner of the yard.

Link held up a finger. “To begin with, I would like to find out that I am not a murderer.”

“You're not a murderer. You couldn't even step on that spider that was in the bathroom the other day even though you were having a screaming fit.” Rhett took a swallow from his beer bottle.

“Spiders are creepy. I was completely justified,” Link said primly. “Anyway, it would be good to find a family. Mom and dad, maybe siblings. Your family is so nice. I'd like that for myself.”

“They loved you, by the way. My mom said you were a nice young man.” Rhett usually flew to Georgia to visit his parents, but because Link couldn't fly with no ID and Rhett refused to leave him, they came to visit Rhett instead.

Link laughed, then got serious. “I hope I don't have kids.”

“Why not? You don't like kids?” Rhett put the empty beer bottle down on the patio.

“I like kids fine. I mean, I work with a bunch of teenagers, right? I like them,” he said. “It's just... I don't want to be the dad who abandoned his kids, you know? Even if it wasn't my fault.”

“I feel that,” Rhett said. “I wouldn't want to be that guy either.” He grew quiet. There was a question he needed to ask. There was a lot riding on Link's answer. Rhett gathered his courage and tried to be casual.

“What about a husband?”

Link immediately shook his head. “I'd have to go and try to navigate a relationship where the other person has all the history and I have none. And he'd be in the situation where the person he loves is a stranger. God, it would be awful for both of us.” He shuddered.

“If you forgot me-” Rhett cut himself off. Link looked at him strangely and gestured with his beer bottle.

“Go on.”

Rhett took a deep breath. He wished he had another beer. “If you forgot me, I don't know what I'd do. It's only been like eight months since I found you on the trail, but you're my whole life now. I've built everything around you. My other half. Without you, I'd just be...” He trailed off.

“Oh, Rhett. You think I'm your whole life?” Link laughed. “You lived a whole forty years before I showed up. I lived five days before you showed up. Every day of my life, you've been there. Even when you weren't physically present, I thought about you every day. My other half. My moon and sun. I can't promise that I won't forget you, but I know that if I do, you'll find me and be there every day for my next life.”

“Link, I swear to you that I will. I'll be there every day.”

Link smiled and held out his hand to Rhett, who took it and squeezed gently.

“Thank you, Rhett,” Link said. “For everything.”

~*~*~*~*~

Life continued while they waited for results from Maria. She told them the process would be slow, and months passed with no answers.

Rhett worked at his office almost full time because Link was almost completely independent. When he needed to get somewhere he couldn't get to on his bike, he could call an Uber. Link had a credit card that Rhett had given him (“Just don't buy a bunch of stupid shit, okay?”) so he could buy things for himself and go out to lunch with his coworkers.

Link had advanced at the food bank from sorting and packaging to an organizational role, streamlining the process for people to get their donations. The board of directors loved him, and promised him a paying job once he was legally able to work.

When the one year anniversary of Link's discovery rolled around, he asked Rhett to take him to the place on the trail where he was found.

“Are you sure?” Rhett asked. He hadn't been near the trail since that day.

Link nodded. “I've been thinking about it a lot. I think I need to see it.”

“Alright. I'll take the day off work and we can do whatever you want afterwards.”

The morning of the anniversary was just as chilly as the original day, but it was bright and sunny. The two men zipped up their jackets and went on their way.

There was no conversation as they walked. They were each lost in their own thoughts. Rhett was thinking of all the changes Link had brought into his life. Before, every day had been the same, and he'd been lonely all the time. Now he had someone to come home to every day, who was always happy to see him, who always wanted to try new things and dragged Rhett along, who made his life so much fuller.

“Hey,” Rhett said softly. He beckoned a little to Link, who was walking beside him. “C'mere.”

“Yeah?” Link came close enough that his shoulder brushed Rhett's as they walked. Rhett reached out and took Link's hand.

“I'm so glad I found you,” he said.

“Literally found me,” Link replied with a laugh.

“I have to be honest,” Rhett said. “I'm a little nervous about going back. I dreamed about it for a long time. Bad dreams.”

“Nightmares?”

“Yeah. Either you would actually be dead, or I'd go to find you and you wouldn't be there, things like that. And always that fog,” Rhett grimaced. “I thought it was so beautiful at first but when I dreamed about it there were always things lurking in it.”

Link looked at him with a furrowed brow. “Rhett! That's awful. How come you never told me?”

“They're just dreams, Link. Wake up, go to the bathroom, try to go back to sleep.” Rhett shrugged. “I haven't had one in months.”

“Still. I don't like thinking about you being unhappy,” Link said.

“Do you ever dream about anything from your past?” Rhett asked. “I mean, like that you can recognize as being from your past?”

Link shook his head. “Nah. I wrote them down for a long time, but they just seem random. Other than the 'locked in the bedroom' dream, of course.” He still couldn't stay in his bedroom with the door closed.

“So is that what's in all your notebooks?” Rhett asked. “I thought you were just keeping a journal.” He'd noticed the ever-growing stack of spiral bound notebooks on Link's desk whenever he looked through the bedroom door, but never bothered to ask.

“It's kind of a journal, I guess. I write down things I've remembered, or at least things I think I've remembered, and things I want to remember. In case... you know.”

“I know,” Rhett said. “Here's the trail.”

“Left, right?” Link asked with a little grin. Rhett snickered at his stupid joke.

“Right.”

“Wait, I thought it was left...”


	17. Chapter 17

They walked down the trail. Despite Rhett's worries, he didn't really feel anything. The sun was shining and joggers and dogwalkers passed them. It was a far cry from the foggy, pre-dawn morning of a year ago, and he told Link so.

“Stop.” Rhett pulled Link up short and pointed ahead of them. “You were right there. At the edge.” He could see the Link of a year ago perfectly in his mind's eye, curled up with one hand flung out.

When they reached the exact spot, Rhett drew an X in the sandy gravel with the toe of his sneaker. Link stared down at it for a while with his hands stuck in his pockets. Finally, he looked up Rhett with a blank look on his face.

“I don't know what I was looking for, man, but whatever it is, it's not here,” he said.

“Aren't you always looking for the same thing?” Rhett asked. 

“Oh, I don't know,” Link sighed as they began walking home. “The further I get from my past, the less I want to find it.”

“You just want that Social Security Number,” Rhett teased.

“That's not fair, Rhett. I also want a birth certificate and a driver's license.”

~*~*~*~*~

When Rhett went to leave for work early the next morning, the front door was open.

It was just a crack, but a wave of white hot fear washed across Rhett. He dropped his shoulder bag and ran to Link's room at the other end of the house. “Link!”

Even in his panic, Rhett couldn't bring himself to invade Link's privacy without warning. He beat his hand against the door frame and yelled, “Link! Link, I'm coming in!”

He swept the curtain aside. Link's bed was empty and unmade, which made Rhett want to throw up. Unlike Rhett, who never made a bed unless he had to and only picked up his clothes on laundry day, Link always made his bed. Sometimes he also made Rhett's bed.

“Oh god, Link, what did you do?” Rhett ran his hands through his hair and turned around the room. He caught sight of Link's bulletin board, which wasn't visible from the doorway. The last time Rhett had seen it, there had only been a few cutout magazine pictures pinned to it. Now it was covered in overlapping papers.

The magazine pictures were still there, but they had been joined by a number of cell phone pictures printed off at the kiosk at Target (a few buildings and landscapes, some goofy selfies of Link with Rhett, Stevie, and his coworker David, along with a few of Rhett that Link must have snuck—Rhett playing the guitar, Rhett reading a paperback novel on the couch, Rhett caught in the act of talking animatedly to someone unseen), images printed off the internet, and a bunch of sketches on lined notebook paper, the backs of envelopes, PostIt notes, and other scraps. The largest, most detailed drawing showed a long-haired dachshund in front of a swingset.

“Link, I didn't know you could draw,” Rhett murmured as he inspected the pictures. He'd never even see Link draw a stick figure. “What else have you been hiding?”

The sketches were mostly done in the same bold black pen that Link carried in his pocket (and occasionally ran through the washing machine). They weren't good but they were far better than Rhett could ever have done. Some of the magazine and printed pictures had additions drawn on as well.

Rhett guessed that the sketches were things Link remembered, but couldn't take or find a picture of. Some of them he recognized from Link describing them, but others, like the dog and the swings, were entirely unfamiliar. There were so many images that they covered each other, and Rhett began lifting them to see what was underneath. A flash of color caught his eye. 

“Oh, fuck.” He snatched his hand back. The colored drawing was the griffin he'd colored on the first day he'd visited Link at the hospital. Link's hydra was right next to it.

Rhett backed away from the bulletin board and sank down onto Link's bed. He covered his face with his hands and sobbed for a few minutes.

Then he pulled out his phone.


	18. Chapter 18

He called Link first, of course, and Link's phone rang on the desk behind him, exactly as Rhett had suspected it might. Link's phone, keys, wallet, migraine medication, pen, and other pocket things were on the blue ceramic tray on his desk, exactly where he put them every night.

Rhett called the police next to file a missing person report. Link was a vulnerable adult, after all.

He'd half expected Detective Rodriguez to be the responding officer and was surprised to open his door to a woman who looked more like a soccer mom than a police officer. She introduced herself as Officer Williams.

“I'm familiar with his case, of course,” Williams said. “It was quite the topic of conversation around the station.”

Rhett just nodded miserably. Williams noticed.

“Sorry,” she said. “I can tell you're worried sick about him.”

They went over the usual questions. As far as Rhett could tell, Link had left in his pajamas with only a hoodie and his sneakers. No, they hadn't fought. Yes, Link's condition could lead him to wander off. Yes, he had a medical alert bracelet. And so on and so forth.

“We'll start by issuing an Endangered Person Advisory,” said Williams. “And then follow up with his friends, coworkers, that sort of thing.”

“I'm sorry, a what?” asked Rhett. His hair and beard were in complete disarray because he kept rubbing his face. He was having trouble following what Williams was telling him.

“Endangered Person Advisory. Like an Amber Alert, but for for adults with disabilities.”

“Oh,” Rhett said blankly.

“Do you have someone who could come over and keep an eye on you?” Williams asked. “I'm not sure you should be alone right now.”

Rhett blinked at her a few times. “Stevie. Link's old social worker. She's our friend now.”

“I'll call her for you.” Williams took Rhett's phone and spoke with Stevie briefly. She handed the phone back to Rhett. “You're in luck. She'll be over in 15 minutes.”

“Good. I didn't want have to to call my boss.”

~*~*~*~

“Rhett, you have got to pull yourself together a little,” Stevie said. She stood with her hands on her hips, looking at Rhett who was collapsed on the couch. “Who else does he hang out with?”

“David. That fat cat in the backyard.”

Stevie ignored the cat comment. “David, that goofy kid from the food bank? Really? He's like 22.”

“Yeah. He said Link is like his cool uncle. They go to the movies and eat fast food and play video games. I don't think David has a lot of, um, positive role models. He's a good kid, though. Brought Link home one day when he had a migraine at work,” Rhett said as he stared up at the ceiling.

“Huh. That's kind of sweet, in a weird way.” Stevie held out her hand. “Give me your phone. I'm calling him.”

Rhett extracted his phone from his jeans pocket and held it limply out to Stevie. She snatched it and gave him an annoyed look.

She held the phone to her ear and walked around the kitchen island. “Hey, David? No, this is his friend Stevie. Did I wake you up? Sorry. Hey, have you talked to Link recently?”

Rhett listened to the conversation from his spot on the couch. He felt paralyzed. His other half was lost. His moon and sun, gone. There was nothing he could do. Sure, he could call the few other people Link hung out with, but Rhett knew they wouldn't know anything.

Link had re-entered a fugue state that caused a compulsion to travel. He'd walked out into the world with nothing but the clothes on his back and the bracelet on his wrist. Rhett could only hope that someone would look at Link's medical alert bracelet and contact him or Stevie.

So much depended on that steel chain and engraved plaque. Rhett recalled how unhappy Link had been about the bracelet at first, how pissed he'd been with Stevie for making him wear it, but how he'd understood it was necessary. 

“David doesn't know anything, but he's going to ask some other people at the food bank.” Stevie handed Rhett's phone back. She sat next to him on the couch and tried to shove him into a sitting position.

“Damn it, Rhett, get up!” She punctuated it with an extra hard shove. Rhett groaned and sat up. Stevie scooted closer and patted his leg.

“Hey. It's gonna be okay, Rhett. We'll find him,” Stevie tried to reassure him. Rhett buried his face in his hands.

“God, Stevie...” his voice broke. “I can't...without him...he's my everything, Stevie. I need him.”

“I know, Rhett.” Stevie wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders as well as she could. “He loves you as much as you love him, you know.”

Rhett huffed a laugh through his nose. “You know, we've never said that to each other? I love him more than I knew was possible. My ex, Cynthia... I never felt like this about her. Not even close.”

He sat up straight and leaned back. Stevie took his large hand and held in her small, delicate one.

“I feel so stupid now. I love him, and he knows it, and he loves me, and I know, and neither one of has ever acknowledged it.” He let his head fall back on the couch in disgust. “So fucking stupid.”

“So...” Stevie said slowly. “Let me get this straight. You're trapped in this liminal state between friends and lovers, and have been basically since you met. Neither one of you has made a move one way or the other for whatever reason. Yes?”

Rhett nodded.

“And now you're realizing that you should have made a move, that you wanted to make a move, and you're pretty certain your feelings will be returned. Yes?”

Rhett nodded again.

“Now,” Stevie held up a finger. “Supposing all goes well, what kind of relationship do you want? Where do you want this to go?”

“Honestly, I want it to be what we have now, but I want to tell Link that I love him, and I want him to say it back. And I want to kiss him.” He shook his head a little in disbelief. “I already have to stop myself from doing it all the time.”

Stevie gave him a skeptical look. “You want to stop at kissing?”

Rhett made a face. “No, I don't want to stop at kissing, but I will. I shouldn't even kiss him. I'm his guardian. It's not appropriate. I hate it, but I took an oath.”

“You're a good person, Rhett,” Stevie said. “I told you I'd be watching you, and I have. Every single thing you've done has been for Link. You disrupted your whole life for him and I don't think you've ever said a negative word about it. It's really refreshing. Almost all my other clients are being abused by their so-called 'loved ones' so it's nice to see that one of them is actually loved.”

Rhett couldn't say anything to that. He flushed and gave Stevie an embarrassed little smile.

“And I know he loves you,” she continued. “He told me so.”

“What?” Rhett said in shock. “Just plain like that? When?”

“Last year, when you put those curtains in his doorway. He texted me a picture and said you didn't do anything to make him ashamed of his weird phobia, just figured out a solution and took care of it. And he loved you for it.”

“Wow.” Rhett blinked in surprise. “Those fucking curtains.”

“Yeah. Those fucking curtains.”


	19. Chapter 19

Stevie stayed for a few more hours until she felt like Rhett was in a better state.

“I'm gonna be real busy the rest of this week, but you can call me if you need me, okay?” She gave him a tight hug. 

“Thanks, Stevie.” Rhett watched her drive away before returning to his spot on the couch. Now that Stevie wasn't around to make him sit up, he slumped over again.

He looked around the room from his sideways vantage point. Link's belongings were scattered throughout the room. National Geographic magazines on the coffee table, a sweater draped over an armchair, the glass he'd been drinking from last night... it would be the same in every room of the house, Rhett knew. He even had a couple of Link's shirts hung up in his closet, for some reason.

Alone in the house, Rhett covered his face and cried.

~*~*~*~*~

He didn't dare leave the house.

Link might come back to the house, Rhett reasoned, and he didn't have a key. He might not be in his right mind. It was important for Rhett to be there for him. Stevie told him that he couldn't stay there and order takeout forever, but he was pretty sure that he could.

Rhett made sure to keep his phone charged, and kept Link's phone charged as well. He was pretty sure Link didn't know his own number, but just in case...

For three days, he managed to resist the temptation to invade Link's privacy, but late in the evening of the third day, Rhett found himself standing outside Link's bedroom. He'd left the curtain pushed open and he could see the stack of notebooks on Link's desk. _Things I want to remember. Just in case._

Rhett stepped over the threshold and picked up the top notebook. He flipped through it randomly. Link's cramped handwriting covered filled the pages, punctuated with little doodles and diagrams. He caught his name halfway down one of the pages. It was from an entry month or so earlier, when they'd visited an indoor butterfly exhibit at the botanical garden.

_...and a butterfly landed on Rhett's beard and he was nearly cross-eyed trying to look down at it. I wish I'd taken a picture but I was laughing too hard and by the time I got out my phone it was gone..._

Rhett grinned. He had a picture of Link with a butterfly perched on his glasses from the same day. He read on.

_But maybe it's better that I don't have pictures of all the things I wish I did. That way, if I forget again, I won't know what I'm missing. Of course, even the best picture of Rhett could never show me even the littlest bit of how amazing he really is (although I would not be mad if someone showed me a handsome stranger and said “This is your boyfriend. Yes, really.”)._

Rhett's stomach clenched and he slapped the notebook shut. There were six or seven filled notebooks in the pile. They all had to be full of the same sort of things.

The only real difference between the things that Link had written about Rhett and the things that Rhett had thought about Link over the past year was that Link had used the word 'boyfriend'.

Rhett stood and stared at the notebooks until, dimly, he became aware of a phone ringing from the living room. He turned and raced down the hallway, skidding on the hardwood floor in his socks as he rounded the couch.

It was Link's phone, which was strange. The only calls he ever got were robocalls from the pharmacy reminding him that his prescriptions were available for pickup.

Rhett looked at the caller ID. It was Maria, the genetic researcher. He swiped to answer the call and held the phone to his ear.

“Hello?” he said breathlessly.

“Hey, Link! Sorry for calling so late but I had a bit of an update for you.”

“Actually, this is Rhett.” He'd talked to Maria a few times.

“Oh, hi, Rhett. I thought I called Link. Is he there?”

“You did call Link. He's, um, gone. He's gone.”

“Gone?” Maria was confused.

“He disappeared three days ago. We think he went back into a fugue state.”

“Rhett! That's awful.”

“I know.” Rhett gave Maria the rundown on the situation of the past few days.

“So what were you going to tell him?'' he asked.

Maria sighed. “This is just the worst timing, but I've found someone who I believe to be his first cousin, and who has agreed to take a DNA test to confirm Link's identity.”

“Holy shit,” said Rhett. “So you might actually have an answer in a couple weeks?”

“Possibly,” cautioned Maria. “I'd say I'm about 80% certain.”

“Goddammit, this is so fucking unfair.” Rhett squeezed his eyes shut against the tears that were forming in them. It didn't work, of course, so he swiped at his cheeks with the hand that wasn't holding the phone. “Sorry.”

“It's alright,” Maria said softly. “Let me know when you find him, okay?”

“Same to you.” They laughed weakly at Rhett's joke.

~*~*~*~*~

That night, Rhett dreamed about the trolley trail.

_Instead of the drifting fog that always featured in his dreams, in this one the path was bathed in bright sunlight. The trees and shrubs were covered in little green spring leaves. It was still and quiet._

_Link stood on the path, right where Rhett had found him all those months ago. He looked like he did that day, too. He was wearing the Triforce shirt and dark skinny jeans, with bare feet and broken black glasses. His dyed hair hung down to his shoulders and was matted with dried blood on the left side of his head._

_Link tilted his head to the side. “What do you want, Rhett?” he asked._

_“I want you to come home,” Rhett answered._

_“Anything else?”_

_“This.” Rhett reached out and pulled Link towards him. Suddenly he was the Link of today, with neatly cut graying hair, tortoiseshell glasses, and a sweater that he'd stolen from Rhett (again). Dream Rhett wrapped his arms around Dream Link's waist and kissed him the way real Rhett wanted to real Link. Dream Link, of course, responded the way real Rhett wanted real Link to respond: he threw his arms around Rhett's neck and kissed back._

_Dream Link pulled back. “Then what are you waiting for?”_


	20. Chapter 20

Rhett woke with a start. He was soaked in sweat and painfully hard. He stared up at the dark ceiling.

Well, that was unambiguous, he thought as he pushed his boxers down.

~*~*~*~*~

Rhett found himself sitting in Link's spot on the couch, eating Link's snacks, wearing Link's hoodie. He even went out on the patio and hung out with the neighbor's calico cat.

“You miss him, too, don't you?” Rhett scratched her ears. The cat bonked her head against his hand and purred. She was soft and round with patches of black and orange on her white coat. Rhett surprised at how lightly she'd jumped into his lap and how much he liked her purrs. She was nothing like the dogs he'd grown up with.

This cat was alright, he guessed grudgingly.

~*~*~*~*~

Three more days passed. Rhett tried to work from home, with little success. Stevie came over with groceries in an attempt to make him eat something that wasn't pizza or Chinese. They tried to talk about other things, but their conversation always returned to Link.

He was alive, they knew that at least. Officer Williams had a confirmed sighting of him in a town three hours away. A quick-thinking person riding the bus had seen him standing by the side of the road and snapped a picture before calling the police. It was blurry and Link was looking away from the camera, but it was clearly him.

He was gone by the time the police got there.

“How the fuck did he get all the way out there? Do you think he could have walked that far?” Rhett wondered. He was sitting at the table with Stevie. She was eating a ham sandwich. Rhett wasn't.

“Eat.” She shoved his plate closer. He obediently picked up the sandwich and took a bite. “Maybe he hitchhiked.”

“Eugh,” Rhett grimaced. “I don't like the thought of that.”

“Me neither.” Stevie snapped a potato chip in half on her plate and pushed her hair out of her face. “Williams said they put out another alert so people will know to look for him.”

Rhett started to put his sandwich down. Stevie shot him a look. He took another bite.

“I forgot to tell you,” he said after swallowing. “The genetic researcher called the other day—she thinks she found Link's cousin.”

Stevie dropped her chip. “Holy shit, Rhett.”

“I know! She said she's 80% sure, and the cousin agreed to take a test to confirm it. So in a few weeks...” He trailed off and put down his sandwich. Stevie didn't notice.

“You know what?” She picked up the chip and pointed it at Rhett. “If she's right, you can totally bang him.”

“Stevie!”

~*~*~*~*

The blurry picture of Link gave Rhett new life. He felt renewed. Link was alive. They knew, roughly, where he was. People were looking for him. Rhett considered going and looking for Link himself, but knew it would just be a waste of time.

Of course, they had no idea where he'd been or what he'd been up to during his absence. There was no telling what he would or wouldn't remember. But he was alive.

His feelings faded somewhat over the next two days as there were no more Link sightings or updates. But he was still hopeful.

~*~*~*~*~

Text to: Stevie  
(Rhett): I got a good feeling today  
(Stevie): about link?  
(Rhett): yeah  
(Rhett): can't explain it  
(Rhett): never believed in ESP or psychics or any of that shit  
(Rhett): but if I did I would say today is the day he comes home

It was not the day that Link came home.

But the next day was.


	21. Chapter 21

It was late, past 10. Rhett was half watching Planet Earth on Netflix, letting David Attenborough's soothing voice wash over him. His phone rang and he snatched it up.

An unknown number with an area code he didn't recognize. “If this is that damn Microsoft scam again...” he muttered and answered. “Hello?”

“This Rhett?” asked a male voice. An older man.

“Yes. Who is this, please?” Rhett's chest tightened. This was it, it had to be.

“Well, my name is Gary, but I got someone here who wants to talk to you.” There was a shuffling sound and some murmuring in the background before a new voice came on the line.

“Rhett?” It was Link. His voice was weak and shaky, but it was there.

Rhett burst into tears.

~*~*~*~*

The phone passed back and forth between Link and Gary and slowly Rhett got the whole story. For Link, the past ten days were a blank. His last memory before approaching Gary at a gas station was the day before their visit to the trail.

“He came up while I was puttin' gas in my car. I thought he was gonna ask for money, but he asked what day it was and said he needed to call his roommate. He couldn't remember your name at first but I saw his bracelet and got your name and number off it,” Gary said.

“He remembers me now?” Rhett asked. It was the most important question in the world.

“Yup. Says you're tall and got a beard.”

Rhett smiled. “That's me. Can I talk to him again?”

Gary passed the phone over. “Hey,” Link said.

“Hey, baby.” Rhett hadn't planned on saying that, but it came out anyway. He didn't mind. He was done keeping his feelings under wraps. “How are you doing?”

“Better now.” Rhett could hear the smile in Link's voice. “I like that, by the way.”

“Good,” Rhett said. “I like it, too. But baby, I gotta know: are you okay?”

“My shoulder hurts. Real bad.” There was a long pause. “I'm real confused about a lot of things. I feel bad, too. Guilty.”

“Oh, Link. It's gonna be okay.” Rhett thought for a moment. “Look, I'm going to come up there right away. It's a three hour drive, though. Let me talk to Gary again, okay?”

“Okay.” Link started to pull the phone away from his ear.

“Wait, wait!” Rhett yelled. “Link, wait!”

“What?” 

“I love you.”

Link laughed, delighted. “I knew it! I love you, too.”

Everything was wonderful.

~*~*~*~

The plan was this: Gary would take Link to the hospital to get his shoulder checked out. Rhett would drive up and meet them there. Gary offered to let Rhett his guest room, which he gratefully accepted. Rhett thanked his lucky stars that Link had approached someone as decent as Gary. Talking to a stranger at a gas station could have gone a lot worse.

First, though, Rhett called Officer Williams and told her that Link was found. After dealing with the usual police bullshit, he sent out an email to his family, Stevie, David, Maria, and Jamie.

_Link is FOUND and he is SAFE. Details later, tell anyone I forgot. Love, Rhett_

He threw some clothes and toiletries for himself and Link into a duffle bag before getting into his car and driving to the gas station. It was almost midnight now, and he needed a full gas tank and some caffeine and sugar. A 'mocha cappuccino' fit the bill nicely. It was one of the drinks Rhett would never have normally, but he always started a long drive with some gas station junk food. He threw in a Mello Yello and a bag of hot chips for good measure, plus some sour cream and cheddar chips for Link.

Fortified with caffeine, sugar, and sodium, Rhett set about selecting the music for his drive. He chose an upbeat playlist that he usually used for running. Now he was good to go.

~*~*~*~*~

The drive passed quickly. Due to the late hour, Rhett had the road almost completely to himself. He'd never driven on the highway this late at night and there was something soothing about how big the sky was and how many stars he could see. It was almost the same feeling he got when he woke up early to go running before the neighborhood woke up. Which was, he reflected, exactly what got him into this situation in the first place.

Rhett called Gary as he entered the city. Link was still being seen, Gary told him, so he might as well come to the hospital. It took Rhett a while to find the ER waiting room once he got to the hospital, but once he did he he found an elderly man dozing in a chair in the corner.

“Gary?” Rhett said softly. The man snorted awake and looked up at him. 

“You must be Rhett,” he said. Rhett sat next to him and they shook hands. “He wasn't kidding when he said you were tall!”

“Gary, I can't thank you enough. It's been hell, not knowing where he was.” They talked for a couple minutes and Gary gave Rhett his address and said he'd leave the front door unlocked.

“Guest room's to the left of the kitchen.” He stood and clapped Rhett on the shoulder as he left. “Good luck, son.”

“Thanks, Gary.” Rhett watched him go before going up to the receptionist to find Link. He began to jump through the usual hoops of proving his relationship to Link (Rhett had started carrying a copy of Link's guardianship order in his wallet pretty quickly after the first time he got into a shouting match with someone manning a front desk) but was saved by a nurse who came out into the waiting room looking for him.

“She just came on shift,” the nurse apologized for her coworker. “She didn't know we were waiting for you.”

“It's okay,” Rhett said as they walked down the hall. The nurse walked very quickly and even with his long legs, Rhett struggled to keep up. “How is he?”

“He's dehydrated and his shoulder was dislocated. The doctor got it back in but he's real loopy from the medication right now. I know he's got a history of memory issues-”

Rhett laughed. “That's putting it mildly.” The nurse held up her hands as if to say, okay, fair.

“Just don't be freaked out if he's confused or seems like he doesn't remember you, okay honey? He was alert and oriented just fine beforehand. It happens to just about everyone with this anesthesia.” She opened a door marked “Recovery” and led Rhett to a bed behind a curtain.

“Link? Someone's here to see you, honey.” The nurse gestured Rhett into a chair next to the bed. “I'll come check on you two in a bit, okay?” Rhett nodded absently but his attention was completely on the man sitting propped up in bed with head head slumped over to the side.

Link was wearing a blue hospital gown. His right arm was strapped to his chest in a sling and he had an IV and an oxygen monitor hooked up to his left hand. He blinked slowly at Rhett as he sat down by the bed.

“Hey, Link.” Rhett wanted to hold one of Link's hands but they were both unavailable. He settled with putting his hand on Link's left forearm.

“Hi,” Link said uncertainly. He looked down at Rhett's hand.

“You don't know who I am, do you?” Rhett's stomach dropped. He pulled back his hand. Even though he'd been warned to expect it, it still hurt.

Link chewed on his bottom lip. He was having trouble keeping his eyes open. “You're not a nurse, right?” Rhett shook his head.

“Oh, good.” Link gave him a slow lopsided grin. “Cause you're really hot and I can't hit on a nurse.”

Rhett snorted in spite of himself. This was obviously not fugue state amnesia. “Link, it's me. Rhett. Your roommate.”

“My roommate? Really?” Link blinked a couple times. “Wow.” He furrowed his brow and thought for a few moments before looking bonelessly back at Rhett.

“Is it okay to hit on your roommate?”

Rhett burst out laughing. Link looked at him in heavy-lidded confusion. 

“Yeah, man, you can hit on your roommate,” said Rhett. He probably should have told Link no, but he was only human. He really wanted to see where this would go.

“Can I touch your beard?” Link asked. He almost had a full beard himself. Obviously he hadn't shaved at all over the past ten days. It made him look dramatically different.

“Uh, sure.” Rhett leaned over the bed. Link tried to reach up with his right hand but became confused when he couldn't move his arm. He flopped his head back onto the pillow.

“Can't. My arm doesn't work.”

“Maybe try the other one.” Rhett carefully took Link's left hand and put it on his cheek.

“Mmm.” Link stroked his cheek. “It's nice. Soft. What is this?” He noticed the oxygen meter clipped to his index finger and tried to pull it off.

“Leave it alone, baby.” Rhett put Link's hand back on his cheek. Link pet Rhett's beard idly with his eyes closed.

“I never kissed a guy with a beard before.”

Something in Rhett's chest hitched. “Are you sure? You have amnesia.”

“Ohhhh.” Link's hand stilled. His half-closed blue eyes met Rhett's. “I forgot about that.” He started giggling and Rhett joined in. They laughed harder and harder until the nurse came in to check on them with a concerned look on her face.

“He forgot he has amnesia,” Rhett managed to get out through his giggles. The nurse laughed too. 

“Some of the things people say when they're coming out of anesthesia...” she shook her head. “That's a new one, though.” She checked his IV site and left.

When they were alone again, Link regarded Rhett with a thoughtful—if somewhat confused—expression. “What else did I forget?”

“Couldn't tell ya, baby. Not until this stuff wears off, anyway. You don't even know who I am.”

“I do too,” Link said sulkily. “You're Rhett.”

“That's right.” Relief washed over Rhett. Intellectually, of course, he knew Link's confusion was caused by anesthesia and not amnesia this time, but emotionally it was different. “Your roommate.”

“That's not true, though.” Link had his head back on the pillow with his eyes closed. He sounded more sleepy than drugged now. “It's more than that.”

“You're right, but we can't have this conversation right now. When's the last time you got any sleep?”

“Dunno.”

“How about you go to sleep and I'll come back tomorrow? We can go home and talk then,” Rhett said. He suddenly realized how exhausted he was.

“Kay,” Link whispered. “Love you.”

“Love you too, baby.” Rhett gently kissed Link's forehead, which made Link smile.

Rhett dropped off Link's phone and clothes with the nurse before driving to Gary's. He snuck in quietly, made sure to lock the door, managed to find the guest room without tripping over anything and collapsed onto the bed. He didn't even manage to get his shoes off before falling asleep.

~*~*~*~*

“Son?” Gary knocked on the open door. “It's past 10am. Shouldn't you be at the hospital by now?”

Rhett sat up blearily and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He pulled his phone from his pocket. It was dead. “Shit.”

“I'll go make you some coffee,” Gary said before wandering off to the kitchen.

Rhett never got out of bed so quickly in his life, not when he overslept before presentations in college, not when he nearly missed a flight. He plugged in his phone and as soon as it got a little charge, he saw multiple missed calls from Link, the hospital, and Stevie, along with a barrage of texts. 

He borrowed Gary's flip phone and called Link.

“Baby, I am so sorry. My phone died. I didn't mean to ghost you like that. I'll be there as soon-” Rhett babbled before Link cut him off.

“Rhett.” He sounded amused. His voice clear and alert. The anesthesia had worn off. “It's okay. I panicked a little when you didn't respond and nobody had Gary's number, but I called Stevie and she calmed me down. She was pretty surprised to hear from me, though. Thought I was still missing.” Link laughed.

“What, she didn't check her email?”

“Guess not,” Link said. “Look, you don't have to rush over. I'm about to take a shower, by which I mean one of the nurses is going to help bathe me.” He sounded dejected.

“Sounds dignified.” Rhett pulled clean clothes out of his duffle bag. He specifically brought his cactus sweater because Link liked it. “I'll see you in a bit, okay? Love you.”

“Love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My personal gas station road trip combo is usually a frappuccino or iced coffee with a pastry if we leave first thing in the morning, or a bottle of juice and something like yogurt pretzels if we leave later.


	22. Chapter 22

“You sure that boy is just your roommate?” Gary asked when Rhett returned his phone.

“No. Does that bother you?” Rhett poured milk into his coffee.

“Nah.” Gary removed a magnet from a photo on the fridge and handed it to Rhett. It showed two women Rhett's age, one in a gray suit with a bowtie and one in a simple cream colored dress, kissing under an arch of flowers on a lakeshore. He tapped the woman in the cream dress. “My oldest gal. Kelly. Her second marriage. A much better one than the first, in my opinion.”

“They're beautiful,” Rhett said. After his engagement to Cynthia had imploded so spectacularly, he'd always figured he'd never even consider getting married again, but Kelly's wedding photo sparked something in him. He handed it back to Gary. “Thank you for showing me.”

Before leaving for the hospital, Rhett promised Gary that he and Link would stop in before they drove home. “I'd like to see the two of you together,” Gary said.

“What kind of 'together' do you mean there, Gary?” Rhett asked. Gary just laughed and clapped him on the back.

Link was out of the shower by the time Rhett got to the hospital. His damp hair flopped into his face and he had a traumatized look on his face.

“It was so... clinical. Ugh. I never want someone to bathe me like that again.”

“Don't get old, then,” Rhett advised, and nodded at Link's shoulder. “Nice look, by the way.”

Link looked down at himself and pressed his lips together. He was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt under a hoodie. His sling was zipped underneath the hoodie and the right sleeve hung loose.

“Let's just get out of here, man. I hate being in the hospital,” Link said.

“You got all your stuff? Instructions and all that?”

“Yeah.” Link picked up a few papers and handed them to Rhett. “Sling for a week, physical therapy later. See the neurologist again.”

“Sounds good. Let's jet.”

~*~*~*~*~

Getting Link in the car was awkward. He was able to sit in the front seat because the belt didn't put pressure on his shoulder, but he couldn't buckle himself in one handed. Rhett had to do it for him.

“I can already tell this is going to get real old real fast,” Link said. He fidgeted around, trying to get comfortable.

Rhett started the car and drove out of the parking lot. “How do you think you dislocated it, anyway?”

“Fell, probably. My hands are all scraped up. My knee, too. The doctor said it hadn't happened too long before I got to the ER, so I figure it must have been right before I went to talk to Gary. Maybe the pain snapped me out of the fugue state?” Link started to shrug and then winced in pain. “Ow.”

“Speaking of Gary, I told him we'd stop in before going home. That okay with you?” Rhett asked.

“Yeah! He's actually a really cool guy. We talked a lot while we were in the waiting room.” Link paused for a moment. “Do you know how lucky I am? That both times I've come to, the person who found me was really good and decent and got me help. Like, more than just the bare minimum.”

“If you're lucky, then I'm lucky too,” Rhett said. “I could have found an asshole but I got you instead.” Link snorted.

Gary was delighted to see them and insisted on making lunch for them. They made small talk while he cooked pasta with red sauce. After they ate, Link insisted on taking a selfie together. He made Rhett hold the camera “'cause your arms are so long they're basically a selfie stick”.

“Gary, we can never thank you enough,” Rhett said. Link nodded emphatically behind him.

“It's no problem, son,” Gary said. “Just glad I could help. Stop by anytime.” 

~*~*~*~*~

“That was nice, but I'm so ready to go home,” Link said. 

“Me too, buddy.” Rhett got onto the highway on-ramp.

“What happened to 'baby'?” Link asked. “I liked that.”

Rhett glanced over at him. “How much do you remember about last night?”

“You mean after I got my shoulder fixed?” Rhett nodded. Link grimaced.

“Not much, but I think I said some pretty embarrassing things.”

“Nah. It was cute,” Rhett said. He glanced over at Link again and grinned at his horrified expression.

“Oh no. What did I say?”

“Well,” Rhett began. “First, you wanted to make sure I wasn't a nurse, because you're not supposed to hit on nurses.”

“Oh no.”

“Oh yes. When I told you I was your roommate, and said you could hit on your roommate, you said I was really hot.” Rhett was really enjoying himself now.

“Oh god.” Link's cheeks were turning pink.

“You wanted to touch my beard, and then you said you'd never kissed a guy with a beard.”

“Oh my god.”

“And when I asked how could you be sure about that because you have amnesia, you went 'oh, I forgot about that'.” Rhett did his best to imitate Link's drugged voice. It was hard because he was trying not to laugh.

Link groaned and buried his face in his hand. His face was bright red.

Rhett glanced over again. “Link, it's okay. I thought it was sweet. And it's not like I didn't already know all of that.” He reached out and patted Link's thigh. “Yeah?”

Link straightened up and gave Rhett a distressed look. He ran his hand through his hair, making it stick up in all directions. “It's still embarrassing!”

“Ah, you'll live,” Rhett said. 

“At least you already knew I had a crush on you before that, I guess. Small mercies.” Link leaned his forehead against the window.

“I did?” Link whipped his head around in agitation and saw the smile on Rhett's face.

“Rhett, that isn't funny!”

Rhett laughed. “Yes it is.” He changed the subject. “Do you remember anything from while you were gone?”

“Not really.” Link turned to look out the window at the fields flying by. “A few little things. Sitting on a bench in a park. Drinking an orange soda. A barking dog. Riding in a car. But they're like fragments of a dream. I don't even know if they're real.”

“Riding in a car, huh? Must be how you got so far away.”

Link shrugged his left shoulder. He obviously didn't care one way or the other. The lost time was a mystery and it was pointless to speculate. 

Once the conversation died out, Link quickly fell asleep. Rhett snuck a quick look at him and smiled fondly. Link's mouth was slightly open and his head slumped to the side. 

“Glad to have you back, buddy.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: this chapter makes reference to the possibility of sexual assault. Nothing graphic is discussed, but if that's something you're sensitive to, please take care of yourself and proceed with caution.

“Wha...Rhett, this place is a disaster!” Rhett looked around the house with fresh eyes at Link's statement. Empty beer and soda cans, empty takeout containers, and dirty dishes were scattered throughout the kitchen and living room. Coats and shoes were dumped by the front door. The dining room table was covered with papers, including a printoff of the blurry camera pic of Link, who picked it up and regarded it with an expression Rhett couldn't read. 

“Yeah, sorry about the mess,” Rhett said. “I've had other things on my mind. I'll clean it up now.”

“Can you do a really big favor first?” Link asked, putting the picture down. Rhett made a 'go on' gesture. “Will you help me shave?”

“You're asking me, a man with a full, glorious beard, to help you shave?” Rhett raised an eyebrow. “You sure about that?”

“Well, I guess I could call Stevie, but she probably has even less experience than you.”

“True, true.” Rhett stacked a few cans on top of an empty pizza box. “Can you sit on the counter in here? I think that'll get you high enough that it won't hurt my back.”

“I can't get up on the counter with only one arm.” Link started piling dishes next to the sink.

“Stop that. It's my mess to clean.” Rhett shooed him away. “I'll give you a boost.”

“Rhett...” Link warned. 

“What?” The taller man opened the dishwasher to load it and found it was already full of dirty dishes. “Oh. Hmm.”

“I already had to have someone help me wash my hair and get dressed this morning. You had to buckle me into the car and I'm about to have you shave me. I don't want to be picked up like a _child!_” Link snapped. Rhett looked at him in surprise.

Link deflated. “Sorry. I know it's not your fault. I'm just frustrated.”

“C'mere.” Rhett pulled Link into an embrace, carefully placing his arms to avoid Link's injured shoulder. Link pressed his face into Rhett's chest. “I know it's hard for you. You've been doing so well for a year and then all this. And as soon as you wake up, you lose your dominant arm. That's a big loss of control. And we don't know what happened while you were gone. Could have been something traumatizing. Just because you wouldn't remember it doesn't mean it wouldn't affect you. So how about we put a chair up against the counter and you can use it as a step?”

Link mumbled something into Rhett's sweatshirt.

“What was that, baby?'

Link pulled back a little. “I said, they did a rape kit.” He pulled himself closer into Rhett, his shoulders tense and trembling.

One time, years before, Rhett had taken part in a polar bear plunge while visiting his old college roommate Tim in Chicago. His breath had been knocked out of him when the freezing water of Lake Michigan closed over his head. He felt like he'd never be warm again.

It was nothing compared to how he felt now.

“_What_,” Rhett whispered in horror. “Link...I...no one said...”

“I asked the nurse not tell you. It was probably consensual. It wasn't...violent...I guess, but they said I should let them do it because I couldn't remember. They did all the testing, too.” He started to cry. “I'm sorry, Rhett. I'm so sorry.”

“Baby, what do you have to be sorry for?” Rhett was honestly bewildered. 

“It feels like I cheated on you. I know we're not really together, but...”

“We're together,” Rhett said immediately. He rubbed Link's back. “You know that as well as I do. There's nobody in my life but you, Link. You're my everything. My moon and sun.” He took a deep breath.

“And anything you do when you're not yourself, I could never hold against you. Never.” He gave Link a tiny shake. “Understand?”

Link just sighed, but at least he wasn't crying anymore. “Can we just get this beard taken care of? I'm starting to get a migraine. I need to lie down.”

Rhett kissed Link on the top of his head before letting him go. Link's silvery hair was clean and soft. “Let me take a bit of a breather first, okay? That was some really, um, unexpected news.”

“Okay.” Link took his bottle of migraine pills out of the drawer and tried to open the childproof bottle. “Fuck.” He handed it to Rhett, who raised his eyebrows. Link rarely cursed.

Rhett handed Link a pill and got him a glass of water. Link retreated to the couch while Rhett started the dishwasher and cleaned off the counter. As he wiped the faux stone surface, he couldn't stop thinking about what Link had told him. Did it bother him that Link had had sex with someone while he was gone? Well, yes, a little, if he was being honest. But he wasn't upset with Link. He was upset with the idea of someone possibly hurting Link. It made him sick and angry. And how did the doctors even _know_?

Maybe I should go to therapy, Rhett thought. Maybe we should _both_ get some therapy. He decided to save that discussion for a later day, though. Today had already been emotional enough.

Rhett gathered his shaving supplies: a new razor, shaving cream, a couple hand towels. He dragged a chair up to the counter and went to get Link off the couch. He was leaning back with his eyes closed and his brow furrowed. Rhett recognized the signs of a headache.

“Hey,” he said softly. Link opened one blue eye. “You still want to do this?”

“Yeah.” Link sat up. “I want to get back to normal as much as possible. And my face itches.” He rubbed at his scruff.

“Careful.” Rhett hovered nervously as Link clambered up onto the countertop, but the dark-haired man was able to get seated without incident. 

“I've never shaved anyone else's face before,” Rhett said as he smoothed shaving cream over Link's cheek. “Helped my roommate in college shave his head when he lost a bet, though.”

“What was the bet?” Link asked.

“Oh, it was over who could eat more bowls of Rice Krispies. I don't remember how many they each ate, but Tim lost, and they both puked. It was stupid, like most of the stuff we did back then.” Rhett ran the razor under the tap. “You ready?”

“Don't cut me,” Link warned. He shifted his weight around on the counter.

“Don't wiggle around like that and I won't. You really just want me to shave this all off? Sure you don't want some Civil War style muttonchop sideburns or anything?” The corner of Link's mouth quirked up and he shook his head.

“If you insist.” Rhett carefully shaved Link's face, gently taking his jaw and tilting his face from side to side. He'd never been this close to Link's face for so long. There was a little scar by his eyebrow that Rhett had never noticed before. Link had his glasses off and kept his eyes closed, and his lashes were long and dark on his cheeks. It reminded Rhett of the morning he found Link on the trail with droplets of fog on his lashes and hair. It seemed like so long ago.

“Okay, last little bit, and then I'll clean you up.” Rhett put down the razor and ran some warm water over a towel. Link's eyes were still closed and his breath was warm on Rhett's hands as he wiped the last bits of foam off. Link smelled like shaving cream and hospital shampoo and clean skin, and Rhett felt a sudden surge of affection. Impulsively, he leaned forward and put his lips on Link's.

The little surprised sound Link made was the most wonderful thing Rhett had ever heard. The way he leaned into the kiss was the most wonderful thing Rhett ever felt.

Earlier, Rhett thought he'd never be warm again. Now heat blossomed through his chest and trickled down his limbs. He could feel his face flushing as the tip of Link's tongue touched his.

Link broke the kiss and pulled back just a fraction of an inch. He leaned his forehead against Rhett's. “Wow. Is this what we're doing now?”

“Yep.” Rhett grabbed Link's hips and pulled him forward on the counter and kissed him again. “I did a lot of thinking while you were gone. If you'd never come home... I would have really regretted not telling you how I feel.”

“And how is that, Rhett?” Link asked in a soft voice. He had his arm wrapped around the back of Rhett's neck with his fingers in Rhett's hair.

“I love you, Link. I've loved you since the very beginning.” Another kiss.

“I love you too, Rhett. That was a really good first kiss, by the way.” Link rubbed his cheek against Rhett's beard. “But Stevie's gonna kill you.”

“How is she gonna know if no one tells her, hm?”

Link shook his head. “She knows everything, Rhett. Doesn't she ever pop up in your thoughts and say something smug all like _I told you so_?” Rhett had to admit she did.

“But I'm probably not gonna be your guardian for too much longer, so we won't have to hide very-” he was cut off by Link shoving him away from the counter. There didn't seem to have been any movement between his hand tangled in Rhett's hair and his hand flat on Rhett's chest. It was instantaneous. He'd never seen Link move so fast, not even when they were working in the backyard and a garter snake slithered over his foot.

Link winced in pain at the sudden movement and gripped Rhett's shoulder tightly. His eyes were dark and intense. “Did something happen while I was gone? Or did I forget something from before? Why aren't you-”

It was Rhett's turn to cut him off. “It was Maria. She found someone she's pretty sure is your cousin. 80% sure, she said. When she gets their results back...”

Link's hand fell from Rhett's shoulder and his mouth dropped open. His expression was one of frank amazement. Rhett was not surprised to see his eyes fill with tears.

“Oh my god, Rhett.” Link tried to come up with something else to say but couldn't. “Oh my god.”

“I know, baby.” Rhett pulled him close again. “I should have told you right away, but I was kind of distracted.”

Link sniffled and wiped at his eyes. “Rhett, I gotta go lie down. My head hurts. This is all too much.”

“Yeah, I bet.” Rhett wrapped an arm around Link's waist and lifted him gently to the floor before he could protest. Link took his hand.

“You can come, if you want.”

Rhett's eyebrows shot up. “You're inviting me into your room?” He hadn't been in Link's room in probably ten months, and then it was just to help move a desk. At Stevie's first visit after Link came to stay with Rhett, he stood in the doorway and refused to let her in (“I just want my own space where people aren't coming in all the time! I had enough of that in the hospital.”). She'd argued with him, but Link stood his ground. It was the first time Rhett had seen him be really, really stubborn, but it certainly wasn't the last.

“Don't get too excited. It's not a standing invitation.” Link led him down the hall and pulled back the doorway curtain. He frowned. “Did you come in here while I was gone?”

“I was looking for clues... maybe a reason that you left?” Rhett said lamely. “I'm really sorry. I was desperate for anything that might help.”

Link grimaced. “I mean, I understand, but still! You _know_ how important this is to me!” He gestured around the room before picking up the notebook that Rhett had left in the middle of the desk. “Please tell me you didn't read my journal.”

“Um...”

“Oh my god.” Link sank down onto the bed and covered his face in his hand. Rhett knelt in front of him. Damage control time.


	24. Chapter 24

“Link, I'm so sorry. I could give you a lot of excuses but it doesn't matter. I was wrong.” He bowed his head. “If it helps, the only thing I read was that if you forgot me and someone showed you my picture and said 'this is your boyfriend' you wouldn't be mad about it. And, um, knowing that made it easier to kiss you.”

“Ugh. I guess that's not too bad. Still embarrassing though.” Link fiddled with the zipper on his hoodie. “I'm pretty upset right now but if I don't lie down and close my eyes I'm probably going to throw up.

“Well, no one wants that.” Rhett noticed that Link was struggling with the zipper. “You need a hand?”

“Yes please. And...” Link flushed bright red. “My pants?”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I'm sure,” Link snapped. “Just help me get my damn clothes off so I can lie down. And don't make it weird.” His expression softened a little when he saw the surprise and hurt on Rhett's face. “Sorry. Please.”

“Sure thing, baby.” Rhett unzipped the hoodie and gently pulled it off Link's shoulders. His sling was strapped on over a t-shirt. “You wanna leave the shirt on?”

Link nodded, so Rhett moved on to the sweatpants. _At least he's not wearing skinny jeans_, thought Rhett. _That would make this so much more difficult._ He undid the drawstring and stretched the waistband over Link's hips. Link had nice legs, lean and muscular from riding his bike everywhere. He was trying to be as detached and professional as possible, but his body had other ideas. Rhett really, really hoped that Link couldn't tell how turned on he was, but he could feel his face getting bright red. 

He glanced up. Link had his eyes closed, but his face was red as well. And there was no denying he was aroused too—his underwear was tight and his crotch was right there. Rhett realized suddenly that he'd never seen Link in his underwear or with his shirt off before. Rhett was perfectly happy to walk around the house in his boxer briefs, but Link was always fully clothed.

_Don't make it weird,_ Rhett thought. _He's had a really, really hard day. Don't make it weird. This is not the time. _

He let the sweatpants fall around Link's ankles and Link kicked them off. He scooted up to the head of the bed and pulled the quilt over himself. He shifted around, hissing in pain as he tried to get comfortable with the sling.

Rhett closed the blackout curtains, plunging the room into gloomy darkness. “Do you want me to stay or go?” he asked Link.

“Stay.”

“In bed with you?”

“Yeah.”

Rhett glanced down at his jeans. “Is it okay if I take my pants off?”

A little laugh came from under the quilt. “Yeah.”

Rhett shed his jeans and slipped under the covers. Link was curled up on his side. Rhett carefully fit himself around Link's body. He slipped an arm around Link's waist, carefully avoiding his right arm. Link was solid and warm and fit perfectly against Rhett. Over Link's shoulder, he could see the bulletin board.

“Link, I didn't know you could draw.”

“I mean... I didn't either.” They both giggled a little at that.

“I'm just really glad you're home,” Rhett murmured into the back of Link's head.

“Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to everyone with a migraine who just really needs to lie down in a dark, quiet room and go to sleep.


	25. Chapter 25

Rhett slipped away after Link fell asleep. It was too late to take a nap but too early to go to bed, and staying in a warm bed in a dark room was guaranteed to make him fall asleep too. Instead, he finished cleaning up the kitchen and living room and put in a load of laundry before sitting down and e-mailing out a Cliff's Notes version of Link's story.

_...so he's in a sling for the next week but is otherwise okay. Thanks everyone for your understanding and support over the past 10 days. We really appreciate it. Love, Rhett_

Text From: Stevie  
(Stevie): is he really ok?  
(Rhett): dunno  
(Rhett): phsyically yeah I guess  
(Rhett): he's so mad about the sling though  
(Rhett): lol  
(Stevie): but what about emotionally  
(Rhett): hard to say  
(Rhett): I think he's overwhelmed mostly  
(Rhett): I know I am and I actually have a pretty good idea of what's going on  
(Stevie): poor link  
(Rhett): yeah  
(Rhett): don't really know what to do to help him  
(Rhett): I think maybe he should get therapy but I don't know how to bring it up  
(Stevie): too bad he doesn't have a social worker who could help with that sort of thing  
(Rhett): oh right  
(Stevie): i'll talk to him

“Hey.”

It was a few hours later. Rhett looked up from his plate of lasagna. Link stood at the edge of the dining room. His hair stuck up on one side and his sweatpants were untied at the waist.

“Hey.” Rhett pointed into the kitchen with his fork. “You left your glasses on the counter. And there's lasagna if you're hungry. Frozen, but it's not bad.” Link vanished into the kitchen and came back a few minutes later with his glasses on and a plate of lasagna in his left hand. He placed it down on the table and pulled a fork and a can of La Croix out of his sweatpants pocket.

“It's a good thing you're ambidextrous,” Rhett said as Link picked up his fork. Link rolled his eyes.

“I'm not ambidextrous. You just think that because you're so useless with with your left hand.” Link looked at his soda and pushed it across the table to Rhett, who opened it and pushed it back. “I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier.”

“It's okay. I know the past 24 hours have been really, really intense for you and I was being, um, less than helpful, y'know?” Rhett pulled a burned bit of cheese off his lasagna. “I'm sorry, too. Are you still upset?”

“Not really.” They ate silently for a while. Link finished his portion and put down his fork. “Are we boyfriends now?” he blurted out.

“I would be honored to be your boyfriend,” Rhett said. “But it's really your choice.”

“I'd like that.” Link smiled and ducked his head. “I'm so nervous. Which is dumb, because this doesn't really change anything, right? Except physically, I guess.”

Rhett drummed his fingers on the table and thought. “It changes some things. I mean, are we going to start sharing a bed?” Link snorted but then got a thoughtful look on his face.

“Oh man, that would be a big adjustment for me. It would have to be your bed, I think. I really liked cuddling with you earlier, but having someone in my room...” he trailed off and made a face.

“You can get in my bed anytime,” said Rhett. He raised a suggestive eyebrow.

“Yeah, about that... can we go sit on the couch? We gotta talk before anything happens.”

“Sure.” Rhett left the dishes on the table for now. He and Link got comfortable on the couch, which took a while due to the sling. They ended up with Link lounging back on the couch with his feet on the coffee table and Rhett's head in his lap. Link combed his fingers through Rhett's blond hair.

“So, have you ever been with a guy?” Link asked. “'Cause I could have sworn you thought of yourself as straight.”

“I don't. I mean, no, I've never been with a guy, but I'm not straight. Just... straight passing.”

“Well, I hope you're willing to be patient.”

“For what? Sex?” Rhett asked. Link nodded. “I'll wait as long as you need, baby.”

“You remember how the neurologist said fugue states could be caused by trauma?” Rhett nodded in Link's lap. “I feel like there's... something... it just feels dangerous, somehow,” Link finished lamely.

“Well, whatever you're comfortable with, whatever you want me to do or not do... just say the word, Link.”

Link smiled down at him. “You're the best.” They sat in silence for a few minutes before Link asked, “So did you finish any of our shows while I was away, or did you wait for me to get back?”

“Sorry, Link. I finished all of 'em.”

“Rhett!”

“Just kidding.”

~*~*~*~*~

Link's sling came off after a week, but other effects from his ordeal lasted longer. His migraines became more frequent. He started sleepwalking. He had trouble keeping track of time. The neurologist said his symptoms should fade in time, just like they had before.

“'Be patient'! Easy for her to say,” complained Link on the ride home. “She's not the one spending two or three days a week in bed with a migraine.”

“Yeah, it's bullshit,” Rhett agreed. Link didn't respond. “Link?”

“Do you think I should go to therapy?” Link asked. Rhett's eyebrows shot up.

“Couldn't hurt. Why?”

“Stevie thinks it would be a good idea. I told her about the nightmares.” He paused. “She said she can get me in with someone who actually specializes in repressed trauma.”

“Wow.” Rhett pulled into the driveway and shut off the car. He turned to Link. “Are you gonna do it?”

“Maybe I don't wanna remember.” Link shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

“It might not even be _possible_ for you to remember,” Rhett pointed out. “Anyway, a good therapist won't force you to do anything you don't want to do. You can say, 'hey, I don't want to remember, I just want ways to deal with my nightmares and anxiety' and they should respect that.”

“Oh.”

“I used to go to therapy,” Rhett volunteered. “I was really stressed and just kept it all bottled up until I exploded.”

Link glanced at him. “Is that why your fiancée left?”

A flash of irritation swept over Rhett. “Jesus Christ, Link. What kind of a question is that?”

“Sorry.” Link looked bashful. “That was really out of line.”

“It's not wrong, though. It wasn't the only reason, but it definitely contributed. I realized it was a problem and was getting better but the damage had been done, y'know? I wish she'd actually left when she decided she was done instead of sticking around so I'd pay for another year of school.” Rhett made a face.

“Wow. I'm surprised you aren't more bitter,” Link said.

“Well, I was already in therapy at that point. And it's been three years,” Rhett replied. “Anyway, you should at least go and talk to the guy and see how you feel about him.”

“I guess that's reasonable. Let's go inside, I'm getting cold.”

~*~*~*~*~

Text To: Stevie  
(Rhett): I don't know what you said to him but it worked  
(Stevie): can't tell you  
(Stevie): social work secret  
(Rhett): you're a good friend  
(Rhett): we really lucked out when you got assigned to his case  
(Stevie): i'd say I lucked out too  
(Stevie): love you guys  
(Rhett): we love you too


	26. Chapter 26

“How was therapy?” Rhett asked as Link slid into the passenger seat.

“Good and bad. I cried a lot.” Link's eyes were indeed red and puffy.

Rhett nodded in understanding. “Been there, done that. Are you gonna go back?”

“I think so. It's gonna suck but I can't keep waking you up every night.” Link slept in Rhett's room almost every night now. When he wasn't having a nightmare, it was wonderful. They fell asleep tucked together like two puzzle pieces and woke up with Link sprawled on top on top of Rhett.

When Link did have a nightmare, he woke up yelling and flailing. He'd already hit Rhett in the face hard enough to give him a nosebleed once, and things were getting worse.

“I'd appreciate that.” Rhett put his hand on Link's knee. “I'm proud of you.” Link smiled and put his hand over Rhett's.

~*~*~*~*~

A couple of weeks went by. Link went to therapy on Tuesday and Thursday and went to physical therapy Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Occasionally he went to his food bank job for a few hours, but for the most part, he stayed home. It was a difficult time for him, and Rhett did his best to be supportive.

Their physical relationship was progressing, albeit slowly. Link finally took his shirt off. He was even more beautiful than Rhett expected. Thin waist, toned shoulders, dark chest hair. Perfect.

“God, you're gorgeous,” Rhett whispered. He was lying back in bed with Link straddling him. “I can't believe I get to see you like this.”

Link leaned over and kissed him. “You're pretty gorgeous yourself.” He ran a hand down Rhett's chest, barely grazing a nipple. Rhett squirmed and let out a squeak. Link laughed.

“Eager, aren't you? What if I do... this.” Link adjusted his position so his ass was right over Rhett's crotch and pushed down. Rhett groaned and grabbed Link's thighs.

“God, Link, you're killing me.”

“Sorry, what was that?” Link moved his hips again with a wicked grin, making Rhett whimper.

“You can't just keep teasing me like this!”

Link snorted and kept grinding on Rhett. “I don't see you stoppin' me. But I'll get you off, if you'd rather.”

Rhett opened his eyes and looked at Link, really looked at him. “You sure you're ready for that?” Link nodded. “Then baby, you can do anything you want to me.”

Link gave him one more kiss and then slid further down Rhett's legs. He pulled Rhett's boxers down just enough to expose his cock. “Mmm. Nice,” said Link, taking hold and moving his hand in long, smooth strokes. It wasn't long before Rhett arched his back and gasped as he came.

“Jesus Christ, Link.” Rhett lay limp and spent on the bed. “I never came so hard from so little.”

“Don't be so hard on yourself, Rhett. It's not that little.” Link snickered before sliding off the other man and curling up next to him.

Rhett grabbed a tissue from the bedside table and cleaned himself up. “You are, and I mean this in the best possible way, so dumb.” He rolled over and faced Link. “Do you want a turn?”

Link shook his head. “Not this time.” Rhett pulled him in close and growled in his ear.

“Baby, whenever you're ready, just say the word, and I'll be there.”

Link shivered in delight and kissed Rhett. “Thank you for being so patient.”

“Love you.”

“Love you too.”

“Love you three”

“Love you four.”

~*~*~*~*~*

And then one day, The Call came.

It was Friday afternoon. Rhett had taken a half day at work in order to take Link yet another neurology appointment. His migraines were becoming less frequent, but they were still devastating when they came. 

Overall it had been a nice day. After the appointment, they visited a little coffeeshop they'd never been to before. The weather was unusually warm, so they followed their coffee with a walk in the park. The leafless trees were reflected in the still waters of the koi pond.

There were a number of old, gnarled trees scattered around the grounds. Link insisted on climbing one, despite Rhett's protests. He was straddling a branch and sticking his tongue out at Rhett when his phone rang. He pulled it out of his jacket pocket.

“It's Maria!” he exclaimed and swiped to answer. “Hello?”

“Put it on speaker!” Rhett hissed, poking Link's knee. It was right at eye level for him. Link ignored him.

“Oh my god. Oh my god.” The color drained from Link's face. “You're kidding.”

“Did she find your name?” Rhett really wanted to pull on Link's leg to get his attention but was afraid he'd make Link fall. He settled for squeezing Link's ankle. The dark-haired man looked down and kicked at him.

“Stop, Rhett, that hurts.” Link immediately turned his attention back to the phone. “Tomorrow? I dunno, hang on.” He put his hand over the phone and turned to Rhett. “Are we doing anything tomorrow?”

“Why? Aren't you supposed to go to the movies with David?” 

“Oh yeah.” He put the phone back up to his ear. “No, we're not doing anything. Yeah. Wow. Okay. Yeah, just keep me updated. See you tomorrow. Bye.” He hung up.

Now Rhett tugged on his leg. “Link! Did she find it?” Link looked down at him in surprise.

“Oh. Yeah, she found it. She's going to fly out here first thing tomorrow. She has documents for me.” He started laughing. “Can you fucking believe it?”

Rhett grinned up at him. “Congratulations, baby. You wanna go get some ice cream or something to celebrate?”

“Yeah! Just let me, um...” Link looked around uncertainly. “I don't know how to get down.”

Rhett just rolled his eyes.

~*~*~*~*~

“Ugh, Rhett, I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight,” Link said. He was nervously pacing around the house, following a path around the couch and dining room table.

“Santa won't come unless you go to bed, Link.” Rhett was stretched out full length on the couch. He had a bowl of popcorn balanced on his stomach and was eating it as he watched Link.

“How can you be so calm? This could change everything!” Link ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

“First of all, freaking out isn't going to make tomorrow morning come any faster.” Rhett stuffed some popcorn in his mouth and mumbled around it. “And sure, it'll change some things, but I don't think it'll be everything. I mean, you're not gonna leave, are you? No matter what?”

Link stopped in front of the couch. “You mean if I have a family to go back to?”

“Yeah.”

Link picked up Rhett's feet, sat down, and put the feet in his lap. “I'd have to go for a while, at least. I mean, I'd have to try. But no, I'm not going to leave. They'd just have to accept that I have another life now.”

Rhett held the popcorn bowl out to Link, who shook his head. Rhett munched another mouthful before speaking.

“I'm scared, too, Link. And excited. Think of all the things you'll be able to do! Fly on an airplane, get a license and relearn how to drive--”

Link cut him off. “I know how to drive.”

“How do you know? You've never driven a car.”

“Wrong. David let me drive his truck.”

“Link!” Rhett was aghast. “That could have gone really badly!”

“Well, it didn't.” Link folded his arms. “It was in an empty parking lot. We wanted to see if driving was like riding a bike.”

Rhett tossed a piece of popcorn at Link. It bounced off his shoulder. “That David kid is a bad influence. I'm gonna have to talk to him.” Link threw the popcorn back. It hit Rhett in the forehead. 

“I'm gonna sleep in my own room tonight,” Link said, “Well, try to sleep, anyway. I don't want to keep you awake too.”

“Okay. I'll miss you, though.” Link got up and resumed his pacing. “Dude, do you want to watch a movie or something? You're driving me crazy.”

“I don't think I'll be able to concentrate.”

Rhett sighed and put the popcorn bowl on the table before sitting up. “Come sit with me.” Link tucked himself against Rhett's side and Rhett held him tight. “How about we watch Planet Earth or something that you don't really have to pay attention to? You just can't keep pacing around like that.”

“Sorry. Yeah, that sounds okay.”

Four and a half episodes later, they were both curled up on opposite ends of the couch, asleep.


	27. Chapter 27

“What time is she supposed to be here?”

“Ten.” It was the next morning. Link was on his second cup of coffee. Rhett made a mental note to stop him if he tried to have a third. He way already wound up enough.

“So like... half an hour.” Rhett stretched. His back made an alarming crackle. “I can't believe I slept on the couch all night. I haven't done that in years.”

“Do you want to take my place at my next physical therapy appointment? I really wouldn't mind missing a session...”

“How is your shoulder, anyway?” Rhett asked. “You haven't said anything about it recently.”

“It's good. Doesn't hurt much anymore.” Link rolled his shoulder and pantomimed throwing a baseball. “Just need to get stronger so it doesn't come out again.”

“You mean you don't want to wear the sling again? You loved that thing.” Rhett smirked at the indignant look that came over Link's face. 

“Rhett, I swear-” he was cut off by the doorbell.

They both whipped their heads toward the front door. The blood drained from Link's face and he put his coffee cup down on the table before getting up to answer it. Rhett followed.

“Hello? Hi, Maria. Come in.” Link held the door open for a petite woman with a dark ponytail and a young man with light brown hair. Maria introduced his as her assistant, Jonah (“He's basically a private investigator.”). Rhett started to offer them coffee but Maria cut him off.

“Coffee can wait a few minutes. We all know why I'm here. Let's not waste any time.” The four of them sat and Maria pulled a manila folder out of her bag and handed it Link from across the table.

He looked like he was about to throw up and his hands shook so badly that he could barely hold the folder. Rhett looked at him in concern.

“Are you okay?”

“No.” Link flipped open the folder. There were several pieces of paper inside.

The first was a birth certificate.

“'Charles Lincoln Neal',” he read. “The Third.” His eyebrows shot up. “Fancy.”

“You've always gone by Lincoln,” said Maria.

“Lincoln?” said Rhett. He laughed. “Your name really is Link!”

“So it is,” Link grinned. “June 1st, 1978. Well, I was close with the birthday.” He flipped to the next page. It was a driving record from North Carolina showing Link's last license had expired ten years ago.

“Is this my address?” He pointed at the paper. “In...Lillington?”

“Um, no,” said Maria's assistant Jonah. “I spoke with the landlord and no one matching your name or description has ever lived there. He's owned the building for almost thirty years. He was actually able to give me the contact information for the people who did live there when you got that license, and they didn't know you either. I still haven't figured out how you got a license with that address.”

“Huh.” The next page confirmed his Social Security Number.

“We requested a new card, but it hasn't arrived yet,” Maria said.

The next two pages were photographs. They were printed off on a color printer and looked like they were originally camera phone pictures of photographs. One showed a dark-haired little boy on a swingset with two redheaded kids and the other showed a very young, very solemn Link in a cap and gown.

Rhett pulled the graduation Link picture closer and studied it. It was in black and white, but he could tell that Link's eyes had been just as blue back then. There was something sad about them, a tension that he'd seen on present day Link on his bad days.

“Who are they?” Link asked, touched the redheaded girl in the picture. She looked to be about six or seven, the same age as the Link in the picture. They were sitting on adjacent swings, giggling together. The other little boy in the picture sat at the top of the slide.

“Your next door neighbors, Candace and Mark Jackson. Candace got us those pictures,” Maria said.

“Am I married? Do I have kids?” Link asked. 

Jonah shook his head. “Not that I could find.” Rhett's heart leapt and a wave of relief washed over him. Link could stay!

“And my family?” Maria looked at Jonah, who took a deep breath.

“Link, you're estranged from your family and they have requested that you do not contact them. They said that you left when you were eighteen but from talking to Candace and a few other people I believe that you were actually thrown out. That's why there was no missing persons report for you.”

“Is it...was it because I'm gay?” Link asked in a small voice. Rhett's heart broke for him and he reached out and gripped Link's hand. Jonah nodded.

“They're very religious and very conservative. The cousin that we matched you with? He didn't even know you existed. He's only nineteen, so you were gone before he could remember you.”

Link collapsed onto the table. He buried his head in his arms and sobbed. Rhett flew out of his chair and knelt by him.

“Oh, Link.” He wrapped his arms awkwardly around Link. “Baby, it's going to be okay.”

“They never looked for me because they didn't want me.” Link wiped ineffectually at his face. Jonah brought him a paper towel from the kitchen and Link blew his nose noisily. 

“Well, that's their fucking loss, 'cause you're amazing.” Rhett was pissed. He glanced at Maria and Jonah, who mouthed “sorry” at him. Rhett mouthed “it's okay” back at him.

“But I do, um, have someone you can talk to.” Maria pulled out a pen and scribbled a name and a phone number on the back of the driving record. “Your neighbor, Candace. Your families were very close and she said you're welcome to call or text her.” Link took it and looked at it thoughtfully. His face was red and blotchy.

Rhett stood up and kissed Link on the top of his head. “So do you guys want coffee now?”


	28. Chapter 28

Maria and Jonah stayed for the rest of the day. They answered as many questions as they could, both about the process of finding the genetic match and about Link's background. In turn, Rhett and Link took them out to lunch and told them what Link had been up to since Rhett found him.

“This picture,” Link said, tapping on the photo of the kids on the swingset. “Hold on.” He disappeared down the hall to his room and returned with his drawing of the dachshund and swingset. He put it next to the photo. His drawing matched the real swingset nearly perfectly.

“Well, I'll be damned.” Jonah held them up. “I couldn't draw draw my childhood playhouse nearly as well and I practically lived in that thing.”

“You'll have to ask Candace about the dog,” Maria said. “Cute little thing.”

“I wonder if all your drawings are that accurate.” Rhett rested his chin on his hand and looked at Link. “Could be interesting to see.”

Link perked up. “I can get a job now!” He turned to Maria and Jonah. “I can never thank you enough.”

“I'm just glad to see you smiling,” said Maria. “When your mother told Jonah not to let you contact her... well, my heart just broke. You're such a nice young man and you've been through so much. I wish I had better news for you.” 

Rhett and Link glanced at each other. “Actually, you did give me some good news. I didn't want to be married and I didn't want to have kids, so that was good. And Rhett won the bet.”

“What bet?” asked Rhett, confused.

“The bet that David set up! You know, on my first day at the food bank. About where I was from. You said Raleigh, North Carolina. Lillington and Buies Creek are pretty close.”

“Oh!” Rhett pulled out his phone. “I'm gonna text him and gloat right now.”

“You didn't want to be married because you two are, um, an item?” Jonah asked. Link nodded.

“Well, congratulations.” Maria looked at her smartwatch. “It's time for us to go, I think. Our flight leaves in two hours.”

Rhett looked up from his phone. “I can't believe you flew out here just for this.”

Maria looked surprised. “I always attend identifications in person. It's not something to do over email.”

“We really appreciate it. Thank you so much.” Rhett looked at the papers all over the table. “This has been amazing.”

Maria and Jonah left amid hugs and Rhett and Link were left in a quiet house with answers that just brought up more questions.

~*~*~*~*~

“I am exhausted.” Link flopped face down onto the couch with his feet sticking up in the air and pulled a throw pillow over his head. Rhett grabbed the pillow and swatted him on the butt.

“Scoot over, Lincoln.”

“Don't call me that.” Link rolled over and slid down the couch so Rhett could sit. “It sounds weird.”

“I'm still shocked that I somehow gave your real name back. Well, almost. Wild.” Rhett shook his head.

“Guess I agreed to be Link because I subconsciously knew it was right.” 

“So are you feeling okay about what you found out?” Rhett asked.

“I dunno.” Link swung his legs over the arm of the couch. “I have to admit I'm not really surprised about the family thing. There are some... almost memories, I guess you could call them... that fit with that. The bedroom thing, specifically.” He hugged the throw pillow to his chest.

“You think maybe they locked you in your room or something?”

“Yeah.” Link tilted his head and looked up at Rhett. “Doesn't that sound like something strict religious parents might do to a gay kid?”

“I guess.” Rhett was silent for a moment and then burst out, “God, Link! I just think of you being a kid, trying to grow up in an environment like that... it's awful. I wish I could have been there to help you.”

“You think we would have been friends?”

Rhett raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You don't? I can't imagine a situation where we wouldn't become friends.”

“I guess you're right.” Link heaved a sigh. “Man, my therapist is going to have a field day with this.”

Rhett snorted. “So you gonna call that girl Candace?”

Link tapped his fingertips on the throw pillow. “Mmm, not right away. I gotta process all this first. It's just like... _pow_!” He pantomimed his head blowing up.

“Man, me too. What a day. Let's order some Chinese food and watch dumb shit on Netflix and not think for the rest of the night.”

“Deal.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

“I thought this legal stuff would be easy to resolve once we had all your information,” Rhett grumbled. He was trying to fill out some paperwork from Link's lawyer to have the guardianship rescinded. “Every time I turn something in he comes back in a couple days and gives me another goddamn form. This is like... round five, I think?”

“Mmm.” Link had his face buried in his phone and wasn't paying attention. Rhett looked up at him.

“Who are you texting over there?” he asked.

“Candace.”

“Candace!” Rhett's eyes widened and he put down his pen. “You learn anything?”

“Yeah!” Link looked up at him finally and grinned. “I did have that dog when I was growing up! Her name was Jade. Candace doesn't have any pictures of her but she's going to ask her mom to ask my mom about it.”

“That's great but I really mean anything more, um substantial.”

“Oh.” Link shook his head. “No, not yet. She said she didn't want to do it over text because it's complicated so she's gonna call me in a little bit.”

“Do you really think you're ready?” Rhett abandoned his paperwork and joined Link on the couch.

“I'm ready to stop wondering.” Link put his phone down on the cushion next to him and turned to Rhett. “Between what little I remember and what Maria and Jonah told us, I have a pretty good idea of what to expect. I'm more worried about you, honestly.”

“Me?” Rhett said in surprise.

“Yeah. You were so upset about it the other day that I'm just worried that hearing the details will be really hard for you.” Link gave him a wry look. “Maybe you should go back to therapy, too.”

“I've been thinking about it,” Rhett admitted. “Started having dreams again while you were gone.”

Link gave him a worried look. “Rhett, that's not--” He was cut off by his phone ringing. He picked it up. “It's Candace!”

Rhett started to stand up to give Link some privacy, but Link snaked his arm out and grabbed Rhett's elbow, yanking him back down onto the couch. “Stay here,” he hissed before answering. A video call opened showing a woman with shoulder length red hair. “Hi. Candace?”


	29. Chapter 29

“Lincoln!” she said in delight. “Look at you, all grown up and handsome. And this must be your boyfriend.” She had an accent like Link's, but much stronger.

Link nodded. “This is Rhett.”

“Hi.” Rhett gave her a little wave. She waved back enthusiastically. 

They spent a few minutes making small talk, which was a little awkward because Link had absolutely no memory of her before moving on to their life over the past year. Candace looked up the news story from when he was first found, but Link had avoided most media coverage after that.

“That's quite the story,” she said when they finished. “Ever thought about writing a memoir?”

The two men glanced at each other. “Um, I don't really know how I could write a memoir when I only remember a year of my life,” Link said.

“It's been a very eventful year,” Candace pointed out. “And I know that when you asked what I did for work I just said I that I was a writer, but I worked as an investigative journalist for years and do a lot of ghostwriting now, so if you were interested I could give you some names.”

“Wow. I'd, um, I'd have to think about it. I never even considered...” Link looked at Rhett for help. He didn't get it.

“You don't just have a year, though. You have all those notebooks and drawings!” Rhett was warming to the idea. “It could be really cool, man.”

“I just... um,” Link stammered. “Look, can you just tell me about my family?” he asked Candace in desperation.

“Sure... but Lincoln, honey, it ain't nice.”

“I know,” Link said sadly. “They didn't want me.”

Candace sighed. “They did when you were little. It was just when you got old enough to like girls and... didn't... that it got bad.”

Candace's mother and Link's mother had been very close, and what she hadn't see directly she'd overheard them talking about. Link's parents were both very religious and homophobic (like many people in their town) and by the time he was in middle school he was being abused both at school and at home.

“Every slur you could think of,” said Candace, shaking her head. “One time, I think when I was fifteen and you were sixteen, I asked why you were choosing to make it so hard on yourself. You said it wasn't a choice for you, it was everyone else that was choosing to make it hard. I didn't understand then.”

Rhett looked over at Link. He had tears pouring down his face but wasn't making a sound. So did Rhett.

“And... God, Lincoln, this is hard for me to even talk about...” Candace's voice broke. She was crying now too. “A couple weeks into the summer after your junior year, you got caught kissing another boy. He went to another school and I don't know what happened to him but you... well, your daddy beat you about half to death. I know it wasn't the first time, but it was so bad that my daddy called the police. He said that what you did was a sin but it was up to God to decide your punishment. 

“So the police came and they talked to your parents but didn't do anything else. And I didn't see you again that summer after that, but I heard your mama tell my mama that they'd locked you in your room until they could send you off to get fixed.”

That explained the bedroom door issue, but... “Fixed?” asked Rhett.

“One of those... what do you call them. Pray away the gay places.”

“A conversion camp?”

Candace snapped her fingers. “That's the one. And you came back in time for your senior year and I never saw you smile or laugh once after that and you almost never said anything. All you did was go to school and come home. Your mama said that all you had in your room was a mattress because they couldn't trust you. After you graduated, it was like you never existed. I never saw you after that and the one time I asked after you, your mama got so mad at me that I never said anything again.”

“And Lincoln...” she blotted her eyes with a tissue, “I'm so sorry I never did anything to help. I said some real ignorant and hurtful things to you, too, and I know you can't remember them but I do. I ain't asking you to forgive me but I'm sorry. It's been twenty years and I'm still ashamed of it. I'm so glad to see you happy and in love. I always wondered what happened to you.”

Link handed the phone to Rhett and removed his glasses to wipe his face with his hoodie sleeves. He took the phone back.

“Candace, it ain't your fault,” Link said, the speech patterns of his childhood coming back. “There was never anything you could have done. We were just kids.”

“And you did do something to help,” Rhett pointed out. “You agreed to talk to him when no one else would.”

“Yeah, and I have some questions that aren't incredibly depressing,” Link said. “If you wouldn't mind.”

“Not at all!” Candace perked up a little. “What do you want to know?”

“Well... I mean, everything,” admitted Link. “But I'll settle for some basics.”

Candace spoke with them for another hour before she had to go. Link asked her about his hobbies, likes and dislikes, and any particularly funny stories. Rhett wrote down her answers in one of Link's memory notebooks.

“Call me back if you have anymore questions, okay?” she said. “Y'all take care now.”

“Thanks! I will.” Link hung up and looked at Rhett. “Well, now I know.”

“Now you know,” repeated Rhett. “That was really hard to hear.”

“It's honestly about what I expected,” Link said. “It was almost like deja vu, some of the things she said, because they were things I almost remembered.”

Rhett propped his feet up on the coffee table. “So what are you gonna do now? Write a book?”

Link laughed. “Nah. Well, not yet, at least. I'm gonna keep going to therapy and going to work and getting my medical and legal stuff figured out. And I want to go on vacation. Somewhere we have to fly to. Maybe visit your parents, too.”

“Well, that's all doable,” Rhett said. “How about shorter term, though? Like, do you want to go out to dinner tonight? Somewhere nice. Not that taco place again.”

“But I love the taco place,” Link protested. “But that sounds great.”

“Anything you want to do after?”

“You.”

“Wha—really? 

“Really,” Link said.

“You're ready?”

“Absolutely.”

“Oh gosh,” said Rhett.


	30. Chapter 30

EIGHTEEN MONTHS LATER

The doorbell rang.

No one answered.

It rang again.

“LINK!” Rhett hollered down the stairs. “Could you get that please?”

“I'M BUSY!” came the answering shout from downstairs. “You get it!”

“Ugh.” Rhett saved his work and hurried downstairs before the bell could ring again. He flung the door open and startled Stevie as she was reaching for the button again.

“Jesus!”

“Sorry. Come in.” Rhett ushered her through the door.

“So how was your trip? I know you've been back for almost a month but I've been so busy that-” she stopped as her foot descended on something soft and squishy. She picked it up. It was a little stuffed mouse.

“Um, Rhett, what is this?”

Rhett heaved a sigh and pointed into the living room. A fat calico cat lay sprawled in a pool of sunlight on the rug.

“Isn't this your neighbor's cat?” Stevie asked as she knelt by the cat and started rubbing its belly. It stretched out luxuriously.

“Not anymore, unfortunately,” Rhett said, scowling. “Now she's Link's cat.”

“Link's cat?” Stevie laughed in disbelief. “How'd that happen?”

“She was hanging around out in the backyard when we got back and wouldn't leave. Turns out the neighbor moved and left her behind. Link found his number and called to let him know she was safe, and the guy said he didn't want her anymore. You can imagine how well that went over with Link. I never heard him cuss so much.”

“I bet. Ow!” Stevie yanked her hand back as the calico tried to bite her. “What's her name?”

“Kit Kat.”

“That's so cute. Kit Kat, Kit Kat, Kitty Kitty Kit Kat!” Stevie sang and scratched the cat under her chin. Rhett looked stricken.

“Oh gosh.”

Footsteps came down the hall. Link put a tiny giftwrapped box on the dining room table as he passed it. “Hey Stevie. Who's your little friend?”

“Link!” Stevie jumped up and ran over to hug him. “I feel like I haven't seen you in ages! How was your trip?”

“Good. Weird. Productive.” Link and Rhett had gone to Buies Creek and Lillington with an investigative journalist recommended by Candace to track down some of the things Link had remembered. The original plan for a straightforward memoir had turned into something more artistic featuring his drawings and journal entries. “I'll show you some pictures later.”

“I can't believe you convinced Rhett to let you get a cat.”

“It wasn't that hard.” Link pulled out his phone and showed a picture to Stevie. It was Rhett, sitting on the couch with Kit Kat on his lap. He was scratching her ears and smiling.

“Why Rhett! I didn't know you had it in you.” Stevie turned to him with a smirk. He just held his hands up in defeat.

“I have something for you.” Link retrieved the little box from the dining room table and handed it to Stevie.

“What is this?” she asked.

“Open it and find out!”

Stevie untied the ribbon and tore off the silver paper. Inside a tiny brown cardboard box was a necklace with a silver pendant shaped like a little brain. There was also a card.

“'Stevie, will you be my Best Ma'am? Love, Link',” she read and looked up sharply. “Best Ma'am? Is that like a Best Man?” Link nodded.

“You're getting married?” she asked, eyes wide. Link took Rhett's hand and they both nodded.

“Oh my god!” Stevie shrieked. She tried to hug both of them at once. “Oh my god, yes, of course. This is the best thing ever.”

“I thought so, too,” Rhett said. He put an arm around Link and kissed the top of his head. “Wait, Stevie, are you crying?”

“No. Absolutely not.” Stevie wiped at her eyes. “Look, Rhett, two and a half years ago, Link didn't even know his name. I didn't know what I'd be able to do for him—honestly, he was probably going to end up in a homeless shelter, at least for a while. But you stepped up and took him in and paid for all his care and drove him to all his medical appointments and basically made it possible for him to recover. And I was so suspicious of you at first. I thought you might try to take advantage of him. But I was wrong, and look at you now!” She gestured to Link. “You've got your name back, and all your legal rights, and now you're getting married! By far you're my most successful client. Former client, I mean. Did you get engaged on your trip?”

“Yeah,” Link said. “We went to my parents' old house where I grew up—they don't live there anymore—and Rhett proposed in the front yard.”

“I thought he deserved to have a good memory there. I think it worked.” Rhett grinned, making his eyes crinkle.

“It's the only memory I have there, Rhett.”

“Oh, right.”

“So who's going to be your best man, Rhett?” Stevie asked. Kit Kat came over and rubbed against her leg. Stevie picked her up with a little grunt. “This cat needs to be put on a diet.”

“My brother, probably,” Rhett replied. “I haven't asked him yet, though.”

Link added, “We wanted to tell you before anybody else, 'cause you've been there with us the whole way.”

“Oh my god, Link, you're gonna make me cry again.” Stevie hefted the cat up again. “I'm just so fucking proud of the two of you.”

“Aww, we're proud of you too, Stevie,” Rhett said. “Look at you holding up that cat that's half as big as you are.”

Stevie made a face at him and put the cat down. “Actually maybe it's just Link I'm proud of.”

Link stuck his tongue out at Rhett. “Come look at these pictures, Stevie.” He led her over to the couch and handed her a stack of papers—his drawings—and picked up a laptop from the coffee table. “See how well they match up with the photos we took.”

Stevie leafed through the pages and held one up to the laptop. Both showed brick houses that were generic enough to make the match seem like a coincidence, but an oddly shaped tree off to the side proved it was the same house. “Wow. And these are only the ones you found, right? You have lots more drawings?”

“Yeah, but I'm not going to go look for any of them.”

She twisted around to look at him. “Why not? You aren't curious?”

“I was, but...” Link threw up his hands in exasperation. “It turns out this stuff has no meaning to me! Whose house is that? Why do I remember it? I have no fucking idea, and I don't care anymore.”

“He kept getting mad, which is funny now, but it wasn't then,” Rhett said. “Kind of put a damper on the whole trip, honestly.”

“So I'm done.” Link shrugged. “I don't need it, anyway.”

“Are you sure?” Stevie asked. Link nodded.

“Oh, absolutely. I have everything I need now.” He slipped an arm around Rhett's waist. “Turns out the only thing I really needed from the past was my Social Security Number.”

“He got it tattooed on his ass,” Rhett helpfully informed Stevie, who cackled. Link jabbed him in the ribcage. 

“Rhett!” he hissed. “Why would you tell her that?”

“Because it's funny, man. And true.”

“It is not. And it's my… hip, I guess?” Link placed his palm on the side of his pelvis and looked at Stevie. “Name, birthday, Social. Probably unnecessary at this point, though.”

“I thought you could go back into the fugue state at any time, though,” Stevie said.

“It's trauma based, right?” Link said. “If I can go to the house where I grew up and all those awful things happened, and come out okay, I'm probably set.” 

Rhett kissed the top of his head. “You've come a long way.”

“Guys.” Stevie stood up. “We have to celebrate. Let's go get drunk.”

“It's like four pm.”

“Okay, it's a little early,” Stevie allowed. “Let's go see a movie and then get dinner and then get drunk.”

Rhett shrugged. “Works for me.”

“Me, too,” Link said. 

“Then let's go!” Stevie punched her car keys into the air and led them out the door and on to the rest of their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was this whole thing just an excuse to give Rhett a cat? The jury's still out.
> 
> Further reading on real people with amnesia/fugue states that I used as research and inspiration:
> 
> Benjaman Kyle: https://newrepublic.com/article/138068/last-unknown-man
> 
> Hannah Upp: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/04/02/how-a-young-woman-lost-her-identity 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to MythicalCatie for beta reading!
> 
> Come visit my tumblr @pinecontents


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